Use less, enjoy more.
Let’s be practical about the time and resources we have to make the most of this Holiday Season.
This time of year is compounded by Style Stress that invades the homes and minds of otherwise normal, well adjusted, successful, peaceful people.
Just check out the series of Target Commercials with the crazy lady in Red. I laughed out loud to the point of crying, because “she” exists in EVERY city I have ever lived and worked in. Every single one.
Sometimes, I am she. And I have never had a blond hair on my head. Does she exist in you?
Confessions of a Decorator from youth:
I saw a gingerbread christmas tree in a magazine and told my mother I wanted to make it. No problem. I gathered the ingredients and set about a week long process at the ripe old age of 12 to create this customized tree. It was 12″ tall and took me a week of working every single day. Does that tell you about the detail involved?
Project complete.
Enter God’s sense of humor at building idols…..
Duffy the family dog had lovingly been by my side at every step.
He knew it was a special treat for him.
How he managed to eat the entire tree that sat in the MIDDLE of the Dining Room Table is still beyond me, but he did.
A week’s work of work gone in an instant.
What did I do in my stubborn heart?
Made ANOTHER one! And this time, I added a VILLAGE…put it on plywood and set it up high. It lasted a year until the ants got it.
Moral of the story: My time would have been better spent walking my beloved dog. My time would have been better spent making and baking cookies for those who needed some good cheer and visits. I am not saying that making gingerbread trees and villages is bad – for some it is a time of delight and gathering. For some it is a blessing of family traditions. For me it was not – it was a quest that stole time and energy from me.
I can laugh now, hard, at it. I could laugh hard then – but do take the time to examine what my heart’s desires are for the Holiday Season each year with a renewed sense of purpose.
Those goals change with each season. Sometimes our families are young, sometimes old, sometimes gathered, sometimes scattered.
What is your heart’s desire for your Holiday this Season?
Be honest. And go about fulfilling that desire with purpose and blessing!
Couture Chateau 