Add a little bit of magic to your Christmas
December 1, 2009 by Annie Hutton
Filed under Spiritual Space
With Christmas coming up faster than I suspect any of us are prepared for, it is fitting to reflect on ceremony.
My personal thoughts and feelings around this time of year usually revolve around exhaustion and please let’s get to the end of the year for a well-earned break! At the same time, I hate wasting all these days wishing they were over. Such is the power of exhaustion.
All the little ceremonies surrounding Christmas – decorating the house inside and out, erecting and decorating the tree, buying and wrapping presents, buying in the turkeys, hams, chocolate coated almonds, making Christmas pudding and white Christmas – all seem like too much of an effort. No point in doing any of it if it’s a chore.
It’s a bit like getting ready to go to the gym or for a run. Just the thought of it is exhausting. It seems too hard and willpower may or may not drive us to take those first steps to go. Once in train though, at some point, it becomes worthwhile.
There is of course, a much greater power than exhaustion – LOVE. If these ceremonies are performed with awareness, joy and love, that itself is enough to combat any exhaustion and reluctance to do more than we believe is absolutely necessary. With a little bit of clever scheduling, doing a little bit every day, with good cheer and love, the beauty of these ceremonies is how they make us and the people around us, feel. Wonderful! Magical!
My friend Bridie told me that last year she decided not to send Christmas cards – too hard, no time, etc. Having received quite a few, and remembering how good she felt that people had ‘bothered’ to send them to her, she has decided to ‘bother’ this year and send Christmas cards once again.
Let’s all take the time to share these Christmas ceremonies with our loved ones and feel the joy and love that comes from doing them together. (I’d start now though if you haven’t already!)
Love, peace and wisdom
Hmm Doing it with awareness and mindfulness means you’re adding in the love! Definitely food for thought.
Will bring that to mind when i’m doing my Christmas tasks.
Thanks Annie
Bless Chris, I think we women in particular stress too much with multi-tasking. Maybe this is one thing the guys have actually got right! Doing one thing at a time, but then add in ‘with mindfulness and love’ and we may be onto something!
Have a blissful Christmas break.
Annie x
Annie, I’ve had your wisdom in the back of my head this week, urging me to not wish the days (and the whole week, truth be known!) away willing it to just be over already! With appointments and children related activities all week, I sat there last Sunday, looked at my calendar and thought that I couldn’t wait until the week was over and I could actually breathe again.
It took me a day or two, but I finally stopped myself and realised my thoughts just weren’t productive or calming… and turned my focus back to the present moment. Already, I’m noticing a reduction in stress levels. Thank you my friend for all the joy you bring me and all our readers. We treasure you.
Thank you my dear friend Karen for such lovely words. When you add in children, building a new house, and running, oh say, a website such as The Calm Space, I have to say the task is more difficult for you than me! It is the beauty of these Spaces that we can all gain some reinforcement and knowledge from each other which will hopefully make all our lives happier and easier (bring it on). Thank you for making that happen.