Busy! Busy! Busy!

It is that time of year that we find ourselves either in chaos or bordering denial that the holidays are less than a week away. How did we get here? Most likely it is because we have scheduled and over scheduled ourselves with commitments and the ‘to do list’.

One of nicest things I did for myself this holiday season was to NOT make a ‘to do list’ and to reduce my purchasing to a reasonable level (rather than 6 gifts for each grandchild, I did a special 3 for each),  and I shared with my family that I wanted this Christmas Season to be about family experiences rather than ‘how much can we could get done to get ready’.

As you can see from the picture, I am enjoying a cup of tea at a holiday high tea with my family. Last weekend, we all went out to dinner by the lake and on a Santa Cruise, complete with Santa reading the names of all the ‘nice kids on the list’ at the end.  We have had fires after dinner and the reading of Christmas stories to the kids several nights. The Nutcracker was also a ‘want to see’, but the timing was off for our family…..next year for sure. Last but not least, I have spent quality time taking each set of the grandkids, older and younger, out for dinner with just me.

It feels different this year, but quite good. I am pleased with my choices and will definitely continue this tradition of experiencing rather than doing during the Holiday Season.

“Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind”  from Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street.

PJP