Christmas won’t be cancelled this year. Whether or not you believe, the true meaning of Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth. What a grand opportunity to step back from the commercialization of this sacred day and capture this as a teachable moment. Do you really want your children to see you stressed over stuff? When I was teaching music, the holiday time was filled with preparation for the school concerts and kids choir concerts at church. There was little to no time for Christmas shopping. I remember one year when I left shopping for Christmas Eve. I was running around the mall (actually dragging) with the flu. It was not a great experience. It was a big lesson in being prepared and focusing on what was really necessary. What if this year, we use the shortage as an opportunity to take our energy and find different ways to give to others? Kindness is a great gift. Time is a great gift. Bring a meal to an elderly person who is alone. Bake cookies and share with your neighbors. Send a card to someone you haven’t seen in a bit. Visit with someone who needs it. Become the good you wish to see in the world. Just Be Kind.
The following is wise advice from Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper.
| But what if all this is about something bigger than the supply chain? What if this is a moment when we learn a lesson even bigger than the one about being patient (although God knows we could all use a ton more of that). Maybe it’s a moment for us to stop and think about what we actually need in our lives right now. Do we need to panic buy right now out of fear that we won’t be able to buy Christmas gifts next month? (My daughter Christina said she’s going to just make everything this Christmas.) Do we need more than what we have? What is enough? My friend Simon recently shared with me this quote that’s attributed to businessman Ric Elias: “Never replace happy with happier.” I love that. Don’t go out and get busy trying to be happier when you are already happy. I would also add, don’t do that when you already have what you need |