It’s been a while since I’ve written a post, though I’ve thought about it many times. Each day I remind myself to look up, look around, see the sky and the leaves on the trees. To be aware of the world in general. I find it refreshing but usually don’t maintain that throughout the day. I’ve also been thinking a lot about the holidays. Anyone who knows me well is aware that I no longer participate in the “tradition” of gift giving at Christmas. There are many reasons for this: financial, moral, social and environmental. I am not the first person to say that everyone I know seems to dread Christmas these days. The shopping and planning and expectations get worse every year. But I’m not saying “Don’t spend any money on Christmas.” I’m just suggesting that you could spend it differently. Naturally, family and friends may resist and misunderstand for the first year or two. But I have found that the change in stress levels at the Holidays is very apparent as well as the level of enjoyment!

Christmas Challenge:

• Don’t buy gifts, make them! Do something you’ll enjoy. Food is always a good option!
• Don’t expect gifts in return. Really.
• Offer time instead of “things”. Talk to your mom on the phone for an hour. Take your sister out to the movies. Take your kids out to the zoo. Make a day of it. They will remember the effort!
• Cook with people, eat with people. We all know this is a huge part of many celebrations. But even this has gotten to be a bit of a chore for many people. Make it fun, make it interesting. But don’t stress!
• Give up the cards! So much paper is wasted! Call someone, say hello, send an email! Buy someone an apple.

Some of these things probably sound silly or unlikely. But it’s something I’ve done in my life. It takes time to really think about how to show the people you know that you care about them. And that’s what Christmas is really meant to be. I wish you all a good one!