Yep..it happened. Same thing that happens every year. Today is the day… I lower my expectations….
Traffic is ridiculous, crowds are suffocating, lists are dwindling and unfinished…and don’t get me started on how my house is NO WHERE NEAR ready for guests, despite the fact the cleaners were here this week…
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN EVERY YEAR???
From the time we are kids, our heads and hearts are filled with ideals…Santa’s coming, life is perfect and we will get everything we want this year…
I’m just curious… has it ever happened…for ANYBODY? Or is everyone as stressed out as me, looking for the ideals we were raised on and coming up short in the meantime feeling defeated and like a total failure?
I did what I was supposed to do. I made lists, I went shopping… I was … ENTHUSIASTIC… and then I realized all I have is a ton of piles and no direction.
I reached out to a friend tonight who offered to come over and help…only her present is buried in the piles I need help sifting through – and to that end, I’m not totally sure which gift (or gifts) they are…
She told me to just pull anything that was a gift, put it all in one spot, go through it one by one, and figure out who’s left and go shopping to complete the list tomorrow…
My response?
“Ya that WOULD work for an ORGANIZED person….” (smh)
I then explained to her my “love” of the season in as many four letter words as I could muster… thankfully, she’s used to me, so she understood. Anyone who doesn’t really know my truck driver mouth might be inclined to run … and unfriend me on Facebook….
Thankful for my village that gets me….
As I sit here, I am staring at a pile in my attempt to follow her ‘sage’ advice. Only now, I’m so overwhelmed, I’m not sure why I bought all this stuff and what was I thinking?
That said…I have a couple surprises in the works… and I can’t wait. That alone, will make my Christmas. (not any for my own family, so if you are related to me… sorry not sorry).
So at this time of writing, as I sit among my pile of “checked off” … I take a deep breath… look around…
….and I can’t do it…… well, not tonight.
My joy of the season, thus far, has been the time I have spent with my girls, looking at lights and singing in the car. It’s been the steal away breakfasts with my hubs…the moments my dogs chase me down so they can shower me with their fur so I can look like a slob in public.
It’s this time of year I need to step back and take stock and readjust my thinking.
I’ve decided to make a list of what’s most important…first and foremost… I have an amazing family that I adore. From that point on, I will trickle down and accomplish what I can with diminished expectation.
More often than not, we put heavier expectations on ourselves than necessary. It’s this time of year I take a good hard look at what’s important and realize that what I am most excited for, is that we have a home to invite friends and family to. I have a husband, who is a great cook and loves to present for people. I have willing participants who will come and celebrate with us. And last but not least…I’m thankful for the inspiration of the season that brings us all together. My heart is in the right place…. it’s just the rigmarole that throws me off.
That said, I think it’s important that we check in with our perspective in life. It would be so nice to have what we think we are supposed to… but reality tends to dictate us in other directions. If we don’t take stock in who we are, then we tend to get lost.
Remember the reason for the season…and proceed accordingly.
Mom of two grown ass girls and married to a short guy who is funny and cooks really well! I’m a photographer by trade, so you can say I’m a bit “peopley”. My favorite sessions are the one on ones where I just get to chat and find out about my clients. I’m blessed with what I get to do every day! Blessed by the support of my husband and kids, and blessed by the ongoing support and encouragement of my friends who are always lifting me up.