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This year: less stress, more cheer

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“I’m doing a story on de-stressing the holiday season,” I told my daughter. 

She laughed. 

“That’s funny for someone who can’t live up to her own expectations about Christmas and gets stressed out and mean,” she said.  

After hearing my daughter describe my behavior at Christmas, I was stunned. 

Okay, maybe I’m a little touchy about the way the lights need to go on the Christmas tree. The lights have to go on before any ornaments, and there must be at least five strands, as many as can get wound on the tree. Prickly needles tend to poke a person’s hand which may lead to some creative swearing. Also, did I mention the lights have to be small white lights?

Plus all the ornaments need to be dragged up from the garage and sorted out, not an activity I enjoy. The grey felt donkey goes up near the top of the tree. It’s not Christmas until the Red Sox ornament goes on. Tubs and boxes spilling tissue paper and way too many ornaments need to be cleaned up plus I have to find just the right Christmas CDs. Christmas as I remember it when I was child also called for at least five kinds of cookies plus peanut brittle and fudge.

Oh, and then there are thoughtful gifts to buy, hide in the present closet, wrap and mail.

Don’t forget the Christmas cards. (I have to admit I haven’t sent Christmas cards for eight years, and I feel guilty every year.)

The first thing I take out of my schedule during the hectic holidays is my exercise class, of course. 

It give me hives just thinking about all this stuff without even factoring in church and the real meaning of Christmas.

After reading about holiday stress, which I did by Googling holiday stress tips, and thinking about my daughter’s comment, I decided to mend my ways. 

Here are things I’m going to do to make my daughters’ holiday and my own, a calmer one.

• Remember that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth. Mary did not send Christmas cards, and Joseph did not put lights on the stable.

• Count my blessings.

• Take some time for Christmas caroling, making cocoa, listening to Christmas music and laughing with my girls. 

• Keep exercising. Exercising makes everybody stronger and combats the urge to wolf down Christmas cookies and eggnog. Yes, Lynnette, you’re gonna see me and my sweats for every class. 

• Expectations. It’s not necessary to make all those cookies cause I don’t want to eat them and turn into a wart hog anyway. Maybe my two daughters can pick their favorite cookie, and we’ll make those together. I’ll also make some peanut brittle.

• Christmas cards. I’m giving myself permission to send only 10. If I get those done, then maybe I’ll send more. I will not let the my-family-is-perfect-and-rich-48-vacations-this-year-started-a-nonprofit-orphanage-and-oh-yes-I-lost-400-pounds Christmas letters make me grind my teeth.

So this year I’m going to try to be prepared and not expect perfection. I’ll let myself off the hook and enjoy some cocoa and candy canes with the kids. 

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