What do holidays and vacations have in common? Among other
things, rushing around ahead of time. Instead of happily anticipating a
vacation, we run around making sure we have everything we need or must do ahead
of time—buy miniature toiletries and new clothes, cancel the newspaper, stop
the mail, etc., etc., etc.
Christmas should be a time of joy and remembrance of the
reason to celebrate. Instead, we are consumed by what we have to do. We have to
buy presents for our loved ones—oh, and don’t forget that gift for the office
exchange. We have to bake cookies. We have to clean. We have to decorate our houses. We have to send out cards. We drive ourselves crazy trying to remember
what we’ve forgotten.
Along with all that rushing around comes trouble. Several
years ago, while thinking about what I still needed to do before a vacation, I
didn’t see a curb, tripped, and fell to my knees on the sidewalk. Ouch. That
shook me up enough to make me slow down. In anticipation of driving to our
sister’s for Christmas one year, my other sister hurriedly walked her dog,
slipped on ice, and broke her wrist. People have car accidents because they’re
thinking about something else and not paying attention.
There’s the crux of the problem. Not paying attention. You
would think that after falling (or nearly falling) I would be more careful. I
am. Usually. With the first big (no, make that BIG) snow of the season, I’m
cautious as I walk outside. No rushing for me. So what did I do? I tripped in
my own house over something I should have put away and slammed into a curio
cabinet. I didn’t fall, thank goodness, but my upper arm sports a huge bruise.
From the above anecdotes, you might think what a klutz. And you’d be right. I was
never graceful, even in my younger days. Although I try to be more cautious, I
don’t always pay attention—like the time a couple of us left book group,
talking, and I missed a step and landed on my hip. Good thing I have lots of
padding there. LOL
My advice—to you and, especially to myself—is to slow down.
And all those things that you have to
do? The world will not come to an end if you don’t do them. Don’t stress over
what you haven’t done. Relax. Enjoy the season. Don’t get so wrapped up in the
rush. Be careful. Remember why we celebrate.
