There is nothing like holidays and family togetherness to bring up lots of emotions.
Scarcity. Generosity. Sadness. Happiness. Overwhelm. Peace. Joy. Love. Nostalgia. Grumpy. Crazed. Excited. Anticipation. Festive.
I despise putting up Christmas decorations. I don’t like the time investment and mess of getting everything out and then having to put it all away. I would rather be reading The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke or watching a Hallmark Christmas show or taking goodies to my neighbors.
I dread going Christmas shopping. It takes a lot of thought work to get my family a gift that I hope they will enjoy.
There are parts I love about the holidays too.
I love when the kids and their families all come home. I love playing games and cooking food and spending time together.
I am excited to wrap gifts and put them under the tree.
I enjoy several of our Christmas traditions.
I chuckle when I listen to a recording of my 90-year-old Granny singing The Twelve Days of Christmas off-key and with the wrong words some verses.
I feel peace listening to the reading in Luke of the Savior’s birth.
I appreciate sitting around the table eating dinner with my family.
Often we try to push away those feelings of anxiety over travel or the disappointment of not receiving a desired gift. Or the sadness of a loved one no longer with us.
When we resist feelings, they get bigger. Like resistance training for our muscles. When I try to resist my “bah-humbug” attitude about some Christmas activities, I add the feeling of shame to the despise and the dread. I go from, “I dread putting the ornaments on the tree” to “I shouldn’t be feeling that way” to “I’m such a grinch.”
Our emotions are created by our thoughts.
So, take some time this holiday to observe your emotions and be aware of the thought you are having that is creating it.
Notice what that emotion feels like in your body. Allow that feeling to come and stay for awhile and then allow it to continue on its way. When we recognize that a feeling is just a vibration in our body, then it is manageable.
My dad passed away nine years ago on Christmas Eve. When I pause from the hustle and the bustle, I notice that I am sad. I want to feel sad. I miss him. I don’t want to push that feeling away. But I don’t want to get overwhelmed by it either. I notice it for as long as I need to. Then instead of it becoming overpowering, I feel peaceful.
