So every year I battle the crazy lines, the frustrated people, my busy schedule, and my chronic fatigue that seems to always rear its ugly head while I am shopping and decorating and baking and wrapping and listening to Christmas music and all the other things that come with the holiday season. So this year I decided to break all my steadfast rules about the above mentioned items and started early.
As I was breaking all of my holiday rules such as you can't decorate for Christmas before thanksgiving, and listening to Christmas music before and you can shop for all your Christmas gifts in December and so forth and so on - I started to think...you know - breaking all my rules is not only fun, but it is necessary at times! And to be quite frank - I think I may just have a good thing going on, here's why
1. More time to enjoy the holiday - it seems as though the holidays are so filled with "TO DO" lists that it is hard to make time for fun and fellowship. Well the reality is that we make the time, but we are so stressed out fulfilling all those obligations as well as our to do lists that we don't have the full capacity to enjoy the holiday.
2. Less Stress - If I know for a fact that I get frustrated easily with crowded stores, long lines and crazy shoppers, then why on earth would I intentionally put myself in that position ever - much less over the holidays! If something is a stumbling block to you - you are to avoid it - this is a stumbling block - so guess what - my shopping for Christmas is done! I am going to be a much nicer person to be around.
3. Take Advantage of the nice weather. Why do I have to wait until it is 10 degrees to hang my Christmas lights - that just seems silly. So my solution - hang them when it is warm, and just don't turn them on until the appropriate time. Hey after all the whole town is decorated in preparation for Christmas in the park - since most people drive by my house on the way to the park then it seems that I should decorate as well.
4. Practical when leaving for the week of Thanksgiving - Hey we leave tomorrow for a week away and then come back to a crazy schedule so my thought is - if I have the time now - let's do it!
5. Love the music and the message - Jesus birth is what changed my life, so why do I have to just celebrate that for one month a year. If you like the music listen to it - if it brings joy to your heart sing it and if it brings peace to your soul play it!
6. It brings great Joy to Celebrate - I love celebrations! The bigger the better (hence our crazy large wedding) I am under the school of thought that life is a celebration of the fact that daily we get a second chance, and Christmas is a beautiful reminder of that - so decorate, play that music, light that tree - especially if it will help reduce your stress and allow you to love the holidays instead of dreading them!
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