holidays transposed

Have you noticed that we are once again headed into the holiday season? And I’m sure that your family is just as busy as ours. We have Halloween, a milestone birthday for my father, 3 different Thanksgiving meals, a couple Christmas’s and a New Year’s Eve celebration, and then right into a small stack of family birthdays. The focus: food and gifts.

Are you ready for that? It’s busy. It’s stressful. And it’s complicated. But why? When we hear the word holiday, often our minds start diving into the “what”.  What new entree will wow my family? What is the most meaningful gift that I can buy my parents? What new shiny object will the kids want? 

We rapidly approach the holiday season spending lots of money and time trying to figure it all out. 

But is the “what” really necessary?  Do the kids really need that 5lb bag of m&ms for Halloween? Does our family really need 6 versions of stuffing, filling or dressing for Thanksgiving dinner? How about those Christmas gifts? In six months, will any of those shiny new objects be used?  Probably not. 

It’s time for us to think about the why rather than the what. Why do I want my family to experience these so called good things? That’s easy for all of us, right? We want to cherish them, we want them to feel loved, and we want them to know how valuable they are.

When I got to the why it changed my what. Instead of searching for things, I am finding and intentionally choosing experiences to share. This is a great time of year to reset expectations and to focus on what is truly important as we spend hours and days over the holidays with those we love. 

Jody And Her Daughter, Jael

I’ve left my primary excuses behind and I’ve started now. Why don’t you join me? This week I have taken the time to start working with my dad to build a butcher block counter together. Now, I am in Nashville for a business conference but I’m not alone. I’ve chosen to share this experience with a couple good friends and more importantly, my daughter - giving her the chance to explore business and get time with her mom. 

With a little time and a carefully chosen response, we can all give our family and friends a gift - one that is perfectly suited for each of them. Not a shiny new object they want but one they absolutely need. Us. 

Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,

Jody