Once upon a time there was a chronically ill woman who struggled to smile or find joy during the holiday season.
Each year she wished to be healed. Instead of enjoying the merriment of the season, she was only able to focus on all the things that she wasn’t able to do.
The sadness and frustration of not being able to keep up the pace she had prior to becoming ill consumed. Her storm cloud of despair was always looming over her head.
She was always on the verge of tears, even when she was able to partake in a favorite holiday festivity.
Then a few years ago she realized that if she didn’t redirect her focus or stop trying to recreate the holiday to be what it used to be, she would never enjoy the season.
Instead of counting all the festivities that she wasn’t able to participate in, she focused on what she was able to do.
She limited the amount of commitments she made. She stopped feeling guilty for having to cancel plans whenever her body forced her to stay in bed. Most importantly she learned to find joy in the simple moments of the season.
Instead of fretting over not having the strength to bake cookies from scratch with her daughter, she discovered that making them from a mix or picking out a tray of cookies from a bakery could be just as much fun if she allowed it to be.
Are you keeping a scorecard or are you accepting each moment for what it is?
Are the memories of how things used to be keeping you from making new memories?
My Christmas wish for you is that you are able to let go of the past and embrace the present.
How will you remember this holiday season?
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DMerry Christmas and a very happy new year to you and to yours!