Christmas is right around the corner. Stores are already displaying Halloween decorations, before you know it we will be finishing off the pumpkin pie and then fa, la, la! Holidays should be happy times. Regretfully hectic, happy times such as Christmas can quickly melt down without proper planning. Worse than that is when in true grinchy-style the season of joy becomes a chore you resent.
My daughter Allison sent me a link to a recent survey by psychologist and self-help author Robert Epstein who found that 25% of our happiness hinges on how we manage stress. Most effective in a stressful situation is practicing prevention. Planning is the stress management technique the study found worked best. If we are prepared for potentially stressful events, we may actually find some enjoyment.
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| Christmas morning in our stateroom |
This year, I vow to plan ahead and spend more time experiencing the reason for the season. I have already started jotting down gift giving ideas and hope to finish my shopping before Thanksgiving. A few years ago we planned a Christmas cruise and it was a wonderful gift for the whole family. The holiday was more about spending time together than rushing around buying last minute gifts or juggling schedules. This year I will decorate early and savor the month of December baking a few batches of my favorite cookies, celebrating birthdays (John's and mine) and enjoying the visits form my college-age daughters.
As the Grinch discovered Christmas came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
