I’ve been using variations on the hashtag #ZenHolidays a lot. It popped into my head one day and I went with it. To me it’s the tech-savvy equivalent of setting an intention.
That’s the plan. Not “getting through” or “surviving” the month of December, but enjoying it to the point of finding peace in the hubbub and the solitude and all the other points on the spectrum.
I always chide my mother for saying she wants to get our holiday meal “over with” so we can relax. Really? After days of work to prepare that meal? How about we savor it instead? How about we sit and linger and appreciate the taste and texture of one course to the next?
Yes. Sounds about right.
At some point I realized the majority of stress during this season is self-inflicted. I hear people getting huffy because they have limited shopping days and a long list. They’re freaked because they have baking to do and they don’t know when they’re going to fit it into an already crammed schedule. There’s decorating, too. I was one of these people for many years.
No more.
Like a surgeon, I took a scalpel to my holiday traditions and did some careful cutting some years ago. Where there was once a big Christmas tree in the living room and a miniature tree with its own little ornaments and trimmings in the bedroom, there is now just the big tree. Where I used to deck my place out in every nook and corner, now it’s a few select favorite things here and there to bring the cheery vibe.
My gift list was whittled when I got together with some family members and created a Secret Santa ‘pick a name’ situation instead of buying for everyone. We set a dollar limit. For friends, I tend to stay open to possibilities for modest yet meaningful gifts; since making that shift in mindset, I am rarely ever in a position of last-minute running around because I need a gift for so-and-so.
It’s liberating and allows me to spend my time strolling and window gazing or meeting people for a holiday cocktail or hot chocolate. I live riveted to having quality encounters.
When it comes to cookie baking, I cut no corners. My annual tradition with my mother is alive and well. I make it a priority. It’s a dedicated day. A full morning and afternoon of old standbys and usually a new recipe thrown into the mix. We laugh, sing with traditional holiday standards, occasionally yell at each other, and bring fresh-from-the-oven samples in for my father to try while he watches old movies.
So many people talk about the true spirit of the season. Whatever our belief system, most of us can agree it should be about giving in some way. I don’t see that as strictly monetary. This way, in the #ZenHolidays space, I get to give more of my energetic and joyful self to those I love and really all those I interact with as the season progresses.
I just changed my Facebook cover photo to a sign that says “In Pursuit of Magic” and my smart phone wallpaper is some pink Santas standing in a pink forest.
Put it all together and my intention is clear. Peace and joy. Over and out.
By Nancy Colasurdo
