As a mom of four I admit it. Sometimes it gets me down. I can not understand how everyone is so cheery and yet I am so stressed. It is in those moments that I have to check myself. It is in those moments that I realize that I am loosing sight of all that really matters. I stress way to much over Christmas, I want things to be perfect. Each year I want to top the year before. I am busy checking those Santa lists to make sure I got everything they wished for and I am even more crushed when I figure out that not only did I not get everything but I simply could not afford everything. There I said it. I, at times, place a monetary value on Christmas. Anyone who says they don’t honesty I have a hard time believing. So when Christmas is getting you down what can one really do to get back into the holly jolly mood.
- Turn off the television: I mean seriously watching those ads about the next greatest toy is just down right depressing. It is not what Christmas was suppose to be about and it certainly not going to brighten your mood. Instead of watching television how about playing some games with the family.
- Remember what you loved most about Christmas when you were younger: When we take time to remember those things that we loved about Christmas we often times do not pull out memories about all the presents. Instead we remember things like the smells that mom made in the kitchen as she was baking, relatives coming from all over to connect with each other and simply being around those you love. When we remember those things often times we start to realize that we really don’t need all those fancy presents instead we need to build memories.
- Clear your calendar a bit: One of the biggest reasons why Christmas gets us down is because we are simply doing to much. This is a problem. You see when we do to much we start to lose our joy. Our joy is what carries all through out home and out to our children. When we are down in the dumps then that is going to carry right on over to them as well. Instead give up feeling the need to say “yes” to every function that comes your way. Instead pick a few and then have nights that include downtime for you and your family.
- Remember the reason: Take time to remember why it is that you are celelbrating. It is not because of the presents that you are hoping to give, it is in fact the celebration of a gift that has already been given and can not be topped. The gift of Christ….Now I don’t know about you but I have yet to have found a gift that tops Jesus.In fact I never will. One thing that we enjoy doing in our home is to simply read about Jesus’s birth. It puts our focus right were in needs to be.
- Don’t be afraid to take a break: Party planning, shopping, cooking, decorating, wrapping and oh million other things that happen in the month of December can all get to be a bit much. This brings us down. Take time to simply read, bathe in peace or dare I say have a mommy night out doing something other than Christmas. We need it. We are not designed to go a million miles a minute. When we do we burn out! Instead take a little time to sit back and just watch the lights on the Christmas Tree. Take time to enjoy at least some of your hard work.
Christmas was never suppose to get us down. It was never suppose to cause us trouble and pain. Instead it was suppose to bring us joy and happiness. It was suppose to be a time to bring us close together. So it is time to put away the expectations we have put on ourselves and simply enjoy the moment.
Until Next Time Just Keep Soaring 4 Him,
