Friday, December 17, 2004

'Tis the Season...

... to be stressed out to the max!

Christmas programs, office parties, friends' parties, presents to buy, goodies to bake, meals to plan and prepare, decorations to put up, gifts to wrap...... all to ensure that everybody has a Merry Christmas?

Bah humbug.

Does it HAVE to be so busy?

Several years ago, my sister and I decided to just go the "token gift" route because, after all, the real gift of the season was spending time together as a family. Right?

Well that thinking lasted until all the "supposed to's" kicked in, which was promptly followed by an over dose of worry and guilt.

Buying someone a gift - regardless of price - is a major worry event for me. I spend a great deal of time debating in my head whether or not the receiver will like it or even want it. I also weigh into the equation what the odds might be of this gift being relegated to their White Elephant gift list.

So when my sister and I decided to do "token" gifts, my worry meter went up about 105% when I actually started trying to figure out what in the world to give!

Basically, I hate Christmas. Or rather, I hate what it has become. It's riddled with "shoulds" - all the things we do and feel because someone else told us that's what we should do or feel.

Now, these are not all bad. There are some very good things about the season.... getting together with family you haven't seen for awhile, showing appreciation to other people in your life.... anything done, said or given freely without obligation or agenda.... these are good.

However, doing things out of obligation is not. Being swept up in the middle of someone else's agenda is not. These things suck the life out of me and get my radical, break-all-the-rules blood boiling.

What if.... no one gave gifts one Christmas? What if it was the "norm" to give your time to someone outside your regular sphere of friends or family? What if you anonymous hid $1, $5, or even $10 or $20 bills as you went about your day, leaving them for someone else to find? What if you made a game out of seeing just how many different people you could look into their eyes and say a sincere "Merry Christmas"?

What if....?

Here's to continuing the Journey... finding time to breathe and having the courage to spread the real joy of the season.

-Becky

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