from our publisher & editor
“There is more to life than
increasing its speed.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
To me, the holidays are about family, giving,
and making memories. The funny thing about
memories is that you have to slow down and be
in the moment to make them.
Life comes at us in waves. One weekend may be
packed with a piano recital, basketball tournament, two birthday parties, and a school function. If we’re skilled at balancing our lives, the
next weekend, the dust settles and we allow
ourselves a much-needed stretch of down time.
With the busy-ness of the holidays, the art of
balancing these waves can go right out the frosty
windowpane. Some of us get a rush from the
rush. Some of us get completely overwhelmed.
But in order to really enjoy the season, our bodies (and minds) need a break from the stress.
To find the time to make those special “in the
moment” memories, it helps to prioritize what’s
important. While researching peaceful holidays,
I came across the idea of a holiday priority list.
So I made an optimistically realistic reminder
sheet of what I really want to do this season. It’s
simple, hopeful… and because I know I’m never
going to make a Polar Express train out of confections from scratch, that’s not making the cut.
The goal is… every time you have the choice to do
something you feel like you have to do, you choose
something from your list instead. This doesn’t
mean you ignore your bills or don’t go to work. It
just means you keep these things as priorities.
For a little extra accountability, I’m sharing
mine here!
My Holiday List
• Keep top of mind that people are more
important than things.
• Watch It’s a Wonderful Life and Mickey’s
Christmas Carol with my family.
• Breathe.
• Hang the holiday cards we receive instead of
letting them lay in a pile of mail.
• Make Christmas cookies for Santa on
Christmas Eve.
• Relax & enjoy family visiting for the holidays.
• Find a fun way to involve the whole family in
giving back.
• Stay up late reading a good book.
If you’re so inclined to share your list, we’d love
to encourage our community to keep the priorities they set. Because when we make a point
to slow down and simplify life, these days may
really be merry and bright!
-Amity
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