Like many, I have been caught up in the Pre-Christmas rush that somehow seems to consume anything and everything that I do for the four weeks leading up to Christmas. While most of my organising is done by December 1st (a challenge I like to set for myself to maximise the opportunity for a joyful stress-free season) I seem to continue to allow myself to get caught up in the last minute stress of others rather than allowing myself to sit back and enjoy the lead up to the big day.
Each year I spend the available time I have created for myself sorting out gifts for others to give, re-scheduling appointments that people have missed or cancelled, getting those ‘have to have it before Christmas’ requests sorted and generally getting flustered to the point of frustration.
This week, after falling into a familiar pattern I decided to stop; Stop to watch the world and all its busy-ness and enjoy the fact that my son is excited about Christmas, that I have some wonderful time to look forward to with my friend and our kids in January and appreciate the last 7 weeks before my little boy joins the ‘big boy’ ranks when he starts school in February.
The stress and pressure we can create for ourselves at a time like this can be a little overwhelming and it struck me that what we need to do most at such a busy time is to suspend ourselves, much like a musician creates suspension between their notes. What I have come to understand is that it is in the distance between the notes, in the distance between the tasks and the ‘things’ we do, in that moment of silence that we have the greatest opportunity to find what we are looking for.
So during this holiday season I wish you moments of silence and suspension where you can slow down time to find the distance between the festivities, and more than anything I hope that within these moments you will find what you are looking for.
Seasons greetings…
Helen
