Insight - How do you get it all done?

My son just popped into my office to tell me there are 15 days until Christmas (it’s Tuesday). “That’s one/five,” he reminded me. 
 

Wait, what?

Yes, yes, I know that Walmart has been counting down for at least 34 days and I attended the American Family Holiday concert, which is a great kick off to the season and now there’s only 15 more days to get the baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, fudge making, party going and friend seeing before it’s here. 

Geez. 

There is also every day life…

Hmmm…Oh and my daughter comes home from college and she’s like me to pick her up on a Wednesday…which is our deadline day for The Windham Eagle. 

This is where I’m taking a deep breath. Are you stressed? Did you feel the tension mounting in your life as you read my crazy list? 

How do we get rid of that much anxiety? How do we make the holidays bright and get joy from the mundane? 

Last night, I stopped by our local grocery store to pick up a few things. There was a smile on my face and I was dancing along to the Christmas music in the store. A few of the workers smiled and exchanged some banter. It was cold last night (Monday). I picked up some ice cream for the boys and cool whip. As it went down the conveyer belt I asked the girl bagging to please double bag the ice cream because I didn’t want it to melt. She agreed and repeated what I said. 

I stopped and looked at her. “I’m just kidding. It’s freezing out there,” I said. 

After a few seconds, she laughed. “I get it.” 

Sometimes we have to get out of our heads and engage with people. I think this is what the holidays are all about. Connecting with friends and family. Saying hello to the neighbors or taking time to visit with people you might not take the time to visit with normally. Packing all of this into the season is a monumental task, but we do what’s important. Maybe I pass off some of the wrapping to others in the family. Maybe I get my children to bake some of the holiday standards. Perhaps we live with our Lego Christmas village as the decorations in the kitchen. 

It will all get done, I tell myself. And, if it doesn’t, it wasn’t that important after all.