The days of another holiday season are quickly melting away. For me it begins with Black Friday and ends January 2nd. For those 38 days I am consumed with planning, gift buying, scrambling to see family and friends, baking, cooking, decorating and craft making. On top of the holiday activity there are also significant anniversaries and birthdays. Lots of energy, time and money spent thinking about and executing creative holiday and celebratory moments. I wake and retire each day with thoughts and ideas. My mind races with my perceptions of others expectations, wants and needs. Moreover, I strive to think beyond to achieving the element of surprise and elation. How will my gifts be received? Will I succeed in my goal of creating happiness for my family and friends?
If I could only stop the holiday train and get off for just a moment I might see something truly amazing. A gift that requires no driving, line sitting or credit cards. A gift that is available to all no matter what age, financial means or belief system. A gift truly from the heart and filled with Love. Perhaps if I took a moment I could see that the best gift I could give is the gift of me.
In my haste to buy the perfect gift, plan the perfect event, create the perfect holiday experience for my family I forget that it is me, my presence, my attention, my Love that my family really craves. So if I'm spending 38 days running here, there and everywhere physically, mentally and emotionally trying to make this holiday season perfect and memorable, but I lose sight of the ultimate gift I have to give then are all of those efforts for naught?
Certainly my family celebrates Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries with presents, events, family gatherings and all of the things I think about daily during this time of year...those things create tradition, lasting memories and add value to all of our lives. Do I have the wherewithal to give my family and friends both? Can I give all of myself and also give the tradition?
I am not sure I can answer that objectively. Surely I can replay the past few days and the events of this holiday season to date and present them with a positive perspective to confirm that I, indeed, am capable of achieving it all. After all, that is really how I see it. But it's not about what I see or feel. It's about how I am perceived by my family and friends. Do they feel my presence physically and mentally, or do they see only the stress that sometimes weighs on my being, and the malaise I described in previous posts? Do they see joy emanating from my actions, or do they see me rushing and forcing my way through holiday tasks? Questions worth asking them and answers worth considering each and every year as I find myself caught up in the hustle bustle of this season.
If I could only stop the holiday train and get off for just a moment I might see something truly amazing. A gift that requires no driving, line sitting or credit cards. A gift that is available to all no matter what age, financial means or belief system. A gift truly from the heart and filled with Love. Perhaps if I took a moment I could see that the best gift I could give is the gift of me.
In my haste to buy the perfect gift, plan the perfect event, create the perfect holiday experience for my family I forget that it is me, my presence, my attention, my Love that my family really craves. So if I'm spending 38 days running here, there and everywhere physically, mentally and emotionally trying to make this holiday season perfect and memorable, but I lose sight of the ultimate gift I have to give then are all of those efforts for naught?
Certainly my family celebrates Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries with presents, events, family gatherings and all of the things I think about daily during this time of year...those things create tradition, lasting memories and add value to all of our lives. Do I have the wherewithal to give my family and friends both? Can I give all of myself and also give the tradition?
I am not sure I can answer that objectively. Surely I can replay the past few days and the events of this holiday season to date and present them with a positive perspective to confirm that I, indeed, am capable of achieving it all. After all, that is really how I see it. But it's not about what I see or feel. It's about how I am perceived by my family and friends. Do they feel my presence physically and mentally, or do they see only the stress that sometimes weighs on my being, and the malaise I described in previous posts? Do they see joy emanating from my actions, or do they see me rushing and forcing my way through holiday tasks? Questions worth asking them and answers worth considering each and every year as I find myself caught up in the hustle bustle of this season.
Spot on, I don't know how women like you and my wife go about doing all you do. The Holidays get to people and they shouldn't. Sooner or later, it's true meaning will be completely lost in the madness. By the way, I was passing a church driving home from work the other day. I noticed that their sign out front said, "The greatest gift you can give your children is time." Awesomely basic, and definitely accurate.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jason. Not a unique message by any means, but we all need reminders in some form to keep us centered. A blog, a facebook post, a church sign, a billboard, a TV commercial, a YouTube video...whatever works. No right or wrong medium in my opinion...just get the message out as often as possible.
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