When...Christmas Spirit....Grateful...Technology & Other Wise Thoughts @ 2am!

Have you ever noticed how life seems to be getting harder and harder. Like, there's never a break in it. Hardly ever a moment to just rest, relax, be stress-free and calm down. We're always rushing, rushing, rushing- in a hurry to do this and that and get things done. We always say I'll blah, blah, blah when: the dishes are done, when the bed's made, when my bills are paid, when this is over or that is over, when....when...when...when....when....., the truth is, "when" will never happen. OUR INBOX WILL ALWAYS BE FULL and WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE MANY THINGS TO CONTEND WITH. The key is realizing this fact and making the best out of life that we can. Apparently, I really am a positive person. Lately, my mom and my boyfriend have been quite negative, almost to the point that it's hard to be around. I love them both dearly and they're two of my best friends; but lately, they just don't have a nice thing to say ever. We all mope and groan, and all have a right too, but constant negativity, that gets old. I know it's the holiday season and things are always extra stressful this time of year, but we're still so incredibly blessed and have so much to be grateful for.
My mother, who is/was generally a positive person, has been stressed, tired, worried and bitching constantly lately. I can't understand why. Yes, life is tough, yes we're seemingly broke all the time, but we still have so much to be thankful for. We have each other, we have our lovely apartment home, we have a car, we have food, we can walk, talk, sit, stand, jump, breathe, pee, eat, brush our teeth, drink water and use our hands, feet and limbs. A lot of people can't say those things, we can. I'm just tired of all the negativity around me. I'm trying to remain positive myself, and it is hard; but honestly if I hear "when, when, when" one more time outta either one of them I'm gonna scream.
Christmas and the holidays are about giving and loving and be grateful for the miracles in your life that happen all around you each and every day. It's not about presents, pricey gifts or stockings chocked full of meaningless things.
There are so many people out there who less fortunate than we are; who don't have homes, or mobility, or the ability to breathe, stand, sit and eat on their own. We mistakingly take these things for granted when we really shouldn't.
My mom asked me tonight how come I love Christmas so much? I always have, it really is such a joyful, happy, magical time if you allow it to be. The Christmas music, decorations, food, fun, and family, how could I not love it?
Mom also asked me how I go through the whole month completely stress-free? I had to laugh. "Mom, you think I'm stress free? Please." NO ONE is stress free, not you, not me, not anybody. I just don't let the stress stop me from the joy.
The holidays are stressful for everybody, whether you have to buy one present or a hundred. There's holiday cards, parties, food, money, people, etc, etc, etc.....however, even with all that; I can still see and feel joy in it. Number one, I plan ahead. I start making my own Christmas list in about October, possibly September, I try my hardest to set aside money before the holidays for Christmas presents and start working on my Christmas cards before Thanksgiving even arrives. The whole key to a joyful holiday season is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN and then learn to LET IT GO. There's only so much one can do and no one can do it all. If the cookies are bought instead of home-baked, if the Christmas tree isn't perfectly lit, if the house is cluttered, if the neighbors who you don't know that well are ticked because you were just too busy (or too exhausted) to make it to their holiday party- SO WHAT!
God isn't gonna strike us dead because we didn't hand make the cookies or forgot to pick up one extra egg nog. God does know and care though, if we forget about Him. He is the reason for Christmas, or whatever you celebrate. He is the reason we have what we have and are who we are. He is our maker and our creator and wants us to remember Him at Christmas time. And our families too. Christmas is not about doing, it's about giving, loving and enjoying.
How did I give this year? I donated very small amounts to St. Jude and Heifer International and have been dropping some spare change in the SalArmy buckets outside stores. Can I really afford to give a lot? No. Do I want to? Of course. I give what I can, and sometimes, even when I can't. It's a thing called karma.
Christmas isn't about presents either; for the first time in my life, I don't care about presents for me. I really honestly, just do not care. So what if I don't get presents? Big deal. I know those people who are kind enough to be in my life love me and appreciate me, and I don't need presents to remember that. Sure, I love cards, and I love emails and phone calls and letters; but presents, I don't care. I have so much already, that it really just doesn't matter. It took me almost 21 years to "get" that, but now I do, for the first time in my life, I actually "get it." I am not at all greedy, the presents truly don't matter and I'm just blessed to be here. I finally get what Christmas and the holidays are really about; love, joy, magic, inspriation, miracles, family, friends, hope and faith. And those are things we need every day that can't be put under a Christmas tree.
Last night, Hugh took me out for my birthday dinner, an early one at a mexican restarunt here in town. It was wonderful! He was not negative last night, and neither was I. We had SO much fun! He told the waitress it was my birthday and the restraunt sang to me and gave me a free straw sombraro. It was totally cool! Then, when we got back home to his place, we took a few pictures, hung out and watched TV. We watched VH1's, "I Love the 80s," it was fun! The year was 1983, the year I was born- I'll be 21 a week from tomorrow, I'm SO excited but also, so like "it can wait," now. LOL! Things will NEVER be the same again and now it'll go like the wind-and I know that-really I do. Anyhow, the technology in 1983, just twenty-one years ago was so funny, I started to feel old. Really, cell phones were brand new back then and cost $3,000, yes, three thousand dollars. VHS wasn't around, to record things or watch videos you had to use BETA. Which I actually remember from the late 80s. CD's were also brand new and a CD player was god knows how much. When we were at the restarunt we went into the gift shop and looked at "year books" also about the year 1983. Gas was $1.19 a gallon, minimum wage was $3.35 and a galon of milk was like $1.29. My how times have changed! What cracked me up the most though was that in 1930, the year one of my grama's was born, the average total income for the year was $2000, that's right, $2,000; now that's not even a down payment on a car or a month's rent in California. Geeze! Anyhow, all this time traveling got me thinking....
Technology keeps improving, yet our lives become more difficult. We seem to know more now than ever before, but yet, we know so much less. Like my philosophy teacher said, we know so little about so much. Maybe it was better before all the technology we have today, when we had to do things the hard way. Maybe all the technology is making it too easy so we have too much time to sit and bicker and be negative. Maybe ignorance was truly bliss, maybe the more we think we know, the more we create that isn't actually true. I don't know, but even in my short twenty, twenty-one years, technology has advanced so verymuch, I consider myself a child of technology, but looking around this year-it's overwelming. Human beings, or at least Americans, are now computer-dependent, pill popping (another entry for later) people who can't do a damn thing without them. If the computer system in this country was ever messed with, we'd be ruined. I don't seperate myself from that category because I'm the same way. I can't do accurate math without a calculator, I prefer to type than actually write (much faster), I have my cell phone attatched to hip pretty much day and night and really, really like cable TV. So, it's kind of become a love-hate relationship with technology. Never the less, I think we're too dependent on us, all of us, and it's sad. We are becoming human-doings, when we are actually human-beings. With so much going on all the time, we are losing that time to just be.
Which brings me to my first point; our inbox will never be empty, we will always have places to go and people to see and things to do. That's life. But, if you face it knowing that, with a smile on your face, making the best of whatever comes your way-you'll do just fine. In fact, you'll probably flourish!
With that in mind, here's today's mememe:
1.During the busy week, what do you do to relax?
I love to listen to music; different music, but mostly country. Soft jazz with no vocals. I also love to watch my favorite shows "The Golden Girls," "Friends," and "Full House," because they're like old friends...stand by's that always, always make me laugh and forget my troubles. I also love to just sit on my couch and have a lit candle in front of me in the quiet and just breathe. It's hard to do that during a busy week, but even ten mintues of candle-lit quiet, remembering my spirit, helps!
2. Are you ever just *so* busy that if you don't take a break, you'll explode? How do you handle situations like that? Yes, the last two weeks between finals, preparing for the holidays, volunteering, shopping, etc, etc, etc....I just let myself explode. I've always been big on "following the feeling," and going with your emotions. I firmly if you deny your emotions and push them away, they'll bite you in the ass later on. I promise. So, I just let myself break down; I might cry or yell, but usally I just SING! And I mean sing, on key, off key, it doesn't matter, I just sing a meaningful song at very, very loud! By the way, I'm not a cry baby, but I do think crying is more than okay. It's a natural, human emotional release that makes me feel better, sometimes, it's all you can do. Sometimes, I don't cry, and sometimes I do. Crying, singing, yelling, allowing myself to feel frustrated, angry or stressed and getting it all out, that's how I calm down when I'm gonna explode!
3. How do you keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed? What happpens when you *do* become overwhelmed? How do you calm yourself down?
I'm trying really hard to not get overwhlemed. Because like I just said, my inbox will never be empty. I try to plan ahead as much as possible and learn to deep breathe and give it to God. I know that whatever happens, God is right there and He will help me through it. The minute I think I can do it on my own is when things go to you know where. That always calms me down. That, and singing, like I just said.
Bonus Question for Comments: How do you get thru a stressful day?
I BREATHE, pray to God, get encouraging words from family or friends and realize that today is just today, and it will pass. I try to enjoy today for what it is, give praise to God for the day, and make the best of it.....but sometimes, tomorrow looks really good, just so it doesn't have to be today.

Today's Quote: "Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God."-Karl Barth

Happy Holidays & Many Blessings,
SL