AJ and a LATTE

I have worked off and on all morning for those words of wisdom for the hustle and bustle of the season.  I had a cute quip about my “give-a-rip”-er being broken and the new one being backordered to next Thursday at 3:45.  I listed all of the joys and beauty of the season, but there are some who simply don’t feel that this year. In my circle (not direct but affecting some who I do hold dear) there has been tragedy this season.  There have also been births, engagements, breakups, divorces.  There are so many emotions and the holidays just seem to magnify those feelings–joy AND pain.  One can feel the most full and the most loved surrounded by the lights, the tinsel and the people.  One can feel the most alone in the same place. The more I wrote, the less I liked the post. Way too serious and way too heavy on my heart…so I decided to just list some thoughts.  In the words of the immortal Lucy, the doctor is in….

1. There is a big difference between happiness and joy. Happy is situational. Joy is a heart condition.
2. Sparkling tinsel means different things to different people: it is beautiful, but it is murder on a vacuum cleaner or a curious dachshund.
3. Gifts wrapped and under the tree are an invitation for a disobedient puppy or a dachshund with bladder control issues.
4. The Walmart parking lot is an invitation to consider how much bail money really is….
5. Keeping up with the Joneses is not what it’s cracked up to be.  They are trying to keep up with someone else.
6. If you’re worried about what someone else is thinking about you or your house/decor/gift/etc., stop and ask yourself, “Are they really that bored that they are judging me or am I really the one judging myself?”
7. Money is just money.  How much or how big the gift should never be your central focus.  Are you trying to impress or are you trying to show your love?  A pair of diamond earrings are a great gift, but something that is especially relevant to the recipient could mean so much more. Your thought going into the present is just as much part of the gift!
8. Yes an expensive gift would be great, but not if it causes you stress to pay it off. If you have Neimann Marcus taste on a Dollar Tree budget, rethink your gifting.  Go back to #7.  
9. As I weigh this holiday season, I am going to tell myself I am simply channeling my inner Santa Claus!  Nobody but me sees that scale.
10. My family will be as joyful as I choose to be.  I am the barometer for those around me. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to scowl at someone who is smiling? 
11. “Fake it til you make it” is not all bad.  Think yourself into a feeling.
12. If you need to grieve this holiday, grieve!  No one is living in your shoes. This is as much your holiday as it is anyone else’s.  However you need to emote this season is up to you. If you spend your whole time trying to please everyone else, are you really being true to yourself? 
13. If you are grieving, remember the world isn’t where you are. Don’t expect everyone to understand. Put on that fake smile for those who aren’t your inner circle and put one foot in front of the other. Be real with those you trust. 
14. Tinsel is really, really not a joy for curious puppies–going in is fine…use your imagination.  It’s real, folks.
15. New Christmas trees have great lights…until the chiweenie finds the cord.  You can’t take it back. Tooth marks matter.
16. Santa hats go with EVERYTHING. They are the perfect accessory.
17. Christmas socks do not have to match the ensemble. You probably can’t see them anyway. Wear them and save some wear and tear on those old holey socks you probably need to replace anyway.
18. Calories NEVER count….they are inanimate objects that have no brain or ability to count!
19. I can only be as happy as I choose to be.
20. It is 100% acceptable to have a love / hate relationship with Walmart.  I love food, household essentials, little necessities…online ordering–love; actually parking, walking into the store and shopping amidst hustle and bustle–hate. However, #19.
21. Testosterone fiction while driving in Lubbock during the holiday season is NOT a good combination! Need to spend more time with Debbie Macomber than with David Baldacci!

My list is all fun and games, but during this season we really do have the power to choose. Will you overspend or work on a budget? Will you be angry or try to find the joy? Will you seek joy or settle for temporary happy? Make your own list. Put some thought into it.  Some of these are light hearted but some (if you read past the humor) are very real.  The main thing to keep in mind over the holidays is kind of a buzz word, but it is very real.  Take care of your mental health this season.  There is no such thing as “a perfect” holiday.  You weren’t created to be Martha Stewart, Ree Drummond, or Snoop Dogg.  Your job is to surround yourself with those you cherish and make memories that are going to outlast whatever present you are stressing over. YOU (your time, your attention, your love) are the greatest gift for someone in your life. Cling to that person or those people. The ones who are judgy or causing the stress are probably just as insecure as they are making  you. Life is too short.  Now I will go check on the chiweenie to see if the tinsel issue has, ahem, worked itself out…..

Until next time…