I hope that you are enjoying the beauty and magic of the season. Unfortunately, for many people, the busyness of this time of year can lead to a lot of stress and interfere with being in the moment.
With the holiday season upon us, I began to think about what I am thankful for. With fear and anger rampant in the hearts and minds of many post-election, taking time to be grateful feels like a needed respite.
For the past several months, I have been working with a web designer to update my website. Except for a few small changes here and there, I have had the same website since 2010. Just like my outdated wardrobe, I did not want to change the style of my website.
Last February, I went out of town to visit my mother-in-law, Betty, who was in the final stages of cancer. During this trip, I hung out with my 15-year-old niece, Lauren, who lives close to her grandmother and was spending a lot of time with her during these final days.
I have a confession to make. Every year, my holiday cards are late. I just don’t get around to mailing them out until I go on vacation a few days before Christmas.
One day a few weeks ago I found myself at loose ends. I had caught up on my paperwork, and I couldn’t find a good book to read or a good TV show to watch. I had spent some time online earlier in the day, so I didn’t even want to turn on my computer.
Recently I had to fly out of town for a family visit. I had several connecting flights in one day and I ended up spending a lot of time in airports on layovers. I had just gotten off one of those small planes—you know, the ones that look like a minibus . . . with wings.
Ah, February—a whole month devoted to love. And just in case you don’t feel very loving, all the pink and red hearts, flowers and kisses are there to remind you at every turn. The umpteen Valentine’s Day ads can undermine our confidence and make us feel as though we aren’t measuring up to all those sweet nothings.
My New Year’s resolution for 2012 was to exercise—yes, I only made one resolution this year because I thought I had a better chance of keeping it if I focused on a single goal.