Yet, what I call the "dark side of the season" has returned as well. The shops are crowded, the traffic is backed up, the horns are honking, the profanity is swinging, and that heavy and hostile restlessness that only the holidays can bring is back in full swing too. Apparently Bah Humbug has been replaced with Go F*** Yourselves as I have heard it way more than my oh so delicate ears can seem to handle lately. I mean really!?! Come on, people. We can do better than this. Must we push and shove and honk and yell through the season? This is clearly not the way it should be and here is my own personal solution to all of this negative and unnecessary madness.
Every week, I try to go to church. It is my one whole and sometimes only hour a week where I can reflect, ponder, replenish, and pray. (Yes, mostly in that order) It is like I get to repair and realign myself before crazy Monday rolls around. As I closed my eyes and bowed my head yesterday, I found myself going in a different direction than usual. I thought more about the tension I have been feeling than the joy I am supposed to be filled with this time of year. I mean I am in church surrounded by the real reason for the season, so, I too can do better than this. This is the conclusion I came to for my thoughts and prayers:
I reminded myself to shop small and give more......that a kind gesture or some meaningful quality time is more priceless than anything I can possibly find in a store.
I promised to stay calm and live in the moment instead of getting overwhelmed and distracted by the noise and the crowd. Whether it's a jam packed holiday parade or Santa making his debut at the mall, we are all there for the same reason. However, impatience skews not only our eyes but the perception of what we are trying to experience.
And lastly, I prayed to live in the moment....see the twinkling lights, hear the angelic music, and most importantly, feel the love more than the loss of our loved ones as we cherish Christmas pasts and make our own memories this Christmas and for those to come. What I do now is what will be remembered to others. Leave them with the same quality of memories that I have been left with to cherish.
The true magic is stored in our hearts and we can either add to it or deplete it. It's our choice. This year, I choose to add it. So, scrooges beware.
Photo Sources:
http://www.picturequotes.com/bah-humbug-quote-18025
http://www.swagbucks.com/?t=i&q=christmas+garlands
