Walk the Walk

I think that's what I'm trying to do here! After reading my last entry and analyzing my state of consciousness...I'll make a better effort! Not that I'm smothering, I just am realizing with a week to go I am finally beginning to feel the pinch and a little panic. It's not the usual kind of panic; palpitations, sweaty palms and the like, but enough that I wake during the night and have to have a conversation with myself. I go through the mindtalk at 3 am that I am totally on the ball and have everything in order and no need to fret. I wake a little stressed about situations I totally have well covered! A horrible habit to kick! I am having about 25 people here on Xmas day and food needs to be ordered and purchased. Gifts outside of the fam are wrapped but I still have plenty of work to do. Busy, busy, busy. So, I will impart some words of wisdom that even I need to hear today. One of my favorite tidbits is to simply, "breathe". I have a son who as a little boy would get himself unnecessarily "freaked" over situations that he felt were out of his control which is how we adults sometimes react, but so not necessary for a little 4 year old. I would hold his hand, or hug him and we would take long deep cleansing breaths together and we would just breathe. So, that still works for me. Once re-oxygenated, then, make that list and stick to it. Update and revise each day. Figure out how much time you have to dedicate to the holiday, work backwards from the impending holiday and assign a task each day. Break the day up, figure out what needs to be tended to that relates to your day-to-day and add in a task here or there to be accomplished. That's all we can do. We can't do any more than we can handle. Rome wasn't built in a day and we don't need to be feeling the burn here! Whatever last minute gift I've neglected can always be given and received after the new year as a gesture of thanks for the year ahead. So many people come into our daily lives that we feel we should recognize, and well we should. If it helps you to feel more in control though, purchase a few gender neutral but thoughtful gifts and stash them in a closet. When you find yourself in need just grab one of these little trinkets and you're always at the ready. I try to do this throughout the year with children's gifts. There will be the last minute party invite for one of the boys and no shopping time open. It works, try it. Another nice thank you is to print on the computer a little paragraph of thoughts about someone you need to gift with special thanks. I suggest a little 2x3 or 4x6 size and frame it. This makes a nice affirmation gift for someone that can be placed on their desk at work, tucked in amongst the clutter but can be read and re-read daily. It always nice to tell someone what they mean to you as they don't usually hear it enough or sometimes don't realize how they have positively impacted your life. And what a nice reminder when we get down on ourselves to have that little inspiration to lift us up. I call that a gift! Sometimes it's not easy to tell someone face to face how you feel about them, or we just assume they know. This way they'll always be reminded. There, I think I've solved my own gifting dilemma that woke me early morn. Now that that's behind me, I have the whole day to be successful! Thanks for reading! Miriam