“Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” I’ve heard it a lot over the PA systems at the mall and department stores. I have felt more peaceful this year than I have in a long time. Part of the reason is that I decided to quit worrying. I just decided that I’m going to quit worrying. I don’t know how it happened this month. I’m usually a worry-wart and stress monkey. Something snapped inside of me this month and I just decided that I wasn’t going to worry.
I wish I could bottle it up and give it to you for Christmas. I wish I could give you a bulleted list on how I achieved this strange, holiday nirvana. The list would have just one thing on it:
Stop worrying. Giving the perfect present is nice, but it’s near impossible. Instead, concentrate on finding something that says, “I love you.” Think about the best aspects of the person you’re buying for and choose something that matches. If it’s not a good gift, that’s ok. You are trying your best and the most important thing to know is that you love them.
Stop worrying. Getting a present is nice, but most of the time, our families have a hard time getting it exactly right. It doesn’t matter. They are just trying their best to tell you they love you. Even if they give you a needling present that might subconsciously tell you that you’re not good enough, remember that they are just trying to tell you that they love you. They want to help you and picking gifts is hard. They thought about you and they didn’t leave you alone in the dark season. No matter how insulting the gift is (gym membership, haircut coupons, or maybe a book entitled, “How To Get A Man”), you can see right through the gift to the heart and soul of what they are trying to tell you. They love you, can’t you see it?
Stop worrying. If you get the cards out, great! If you don’t, it doesn’t matter. People will hear about you next year. Maybe you’ll even find out who really cares enough about you to send you Christmas cards instead of those guilt cards that get sent out after yours arrive. If you get the lights up, great! If you don’t, enjoy the lights on the houses around town. That’s what they are there for. There can be no show without an audience. This year, you get to be the audience. If you bake enough cookies for all the neighborhood, great! If you don’t, remember them with a small gift for the home like a emergency flashlight or a handy multi-tool. It’s not the homemade cookies that makes them feel appreciated. It’s the fact that you remembered their names.
The song that plays on the overhead PA is telling you exactly what you need to hear. Give yourself peace on earth, peace in your home and peace in your heart. You deserve it.
If you are stressing over a gift, remember this quote. It will help you decide where your heart is in this matter.
