DECEMBER IS UPON US!!!

Ahhhhh, December.....as a child it was all circle chains and paper nativities and homemade crafts that kids made and sold for a $1. The idea of a budget was a decade away from my thought process and I floated merrily along, intoxicated by the scent of fresh pine, through a month long parade of twinkling lights and chocolate fudge. I never checked my weight, the idea of not indulging in sugary delights and confectionery dreams was absurd, and money was something I mostly just played with during games of Monopoly. Fast forward two decades......instead of sighing with nostalgia the struggle to maintain sanity is more prevalent and with the advent of adulthood and budgets and economic woes and consumer pressures and the reality of life this month has become a much more difficult balancing act. But that's what we are all trying to do....find a little bit of balance in a world gone askew.

Beyond ideal aspirations to live in the space of authentic living,  I honestly just cant participate in the shopping hoopla like I've done in years past. And, like so many years before, I find myself obstinately holding onto my resolve and  refusing to start the panic stricken slide down the slippery slope of competitive gift giving that happens so easily. And the competition to give usually is within ourselves. We start the, "Well I bought this for Sally so I HAVE to buy this for Cindy but then Timmy will feel left out so I how can I not buy this for him too....." And THAT conversation is only as long as your address book is full. Whew,.....what a nightmare of a thought process. I know because I've done it almost every year since I've been saddled with the lovely signatures of young adulthood. I  know that we buy presents for our loved ones to show them how much we love them but....ummmmm....shouldn't they already know? Shouldn't our year long interactions with the truly close people in our lives let them know how precious they are to us? One day of over the top, stress inducing, checkbook deflating gift giving cant make amends for a year of distracted interactions, sparse attentions, little communication, and neglect. Its as if we feel that we can buy back all the time we should have, could have, would have given to each other with a brightly wrapped package. Well, I say "no!". No, you cant make up for the time lost with a shiny thing, and the stress we create for ourselves by purchasing items well beyond our means for someone who probably doesn't need it anyways only makes the true enjoyment of each other impossible on what is supposed to be one of the most enjoyable days of the year. Well , again, I say "NO!" to the Black Fridays and the mad shopping mall trips and the parking lot jams and the long lines and the insane pretending that somehow all the stress if worth it. Because its not.

 So I'm not playing the game this year. I'm just not buying into that hype. I live on a budget and the people I care about are going to know how much they mean to me not by what I give to them but by how I treat them. And if that means starting a greater habit of consideration for others this month that lasts all month and all next year long then I better hop to it. The gift of our time invested into the lives of others, with no strings attached, is the best gift you can possibly give. My amazing boyfriend threw a wonderful super duper late surprise birthday party for me the other night, four months AFTER my birthday. And you know what I remember the most about that night?  I remember all of the lovely faces of the people who took the TIME to come out on a cold winter evening to tell me with their presence that I mean something special in their hearts and that I am important to them. I will never forget who showed up. That is the gift that I will treasure. The interactions with people I love in a space of  compassion and affection is the best present I have ever received or given.  So....do yourself and your bank account a favor. This Christmas season, look around at the hustle and bustle and ask yourself  how you want to participate and even if you want to join the herd. Its not a bad thing to buy presents. If I  had the surplus income I would shower my family with things that they would enjoy. But I am encouraging all of us to re-center our focus onto the intentions and reasons we do what we do. With all of the everyday pressures that we feel why would we CHOOSE to add more stress to our lives. A return to some of the more simple enjoyments of childhood could benefit us all. A package can be bought, a heart must be given. And you alone have  the power to share that most wonderful gift in the way most true to who you are. Life, love, laughter. Money cant buy back any of those things. So good luck, friends. December is already in full swing and you have the power to decide how you want to dance through this month.