My son breaks up from school today, although with exams in the new year, I guess he’s not going to get a complete break over Christmas.
Equally, I look forward to the Christmas break, yearning for some time to do nothing except hibernate, curled up in front of the TV with a warm drink, a mince pie and a slushy Christmas film!
The build up to Christmas seems to become more intense each year…and every year I feel challenged to maintain that illusive work-life balance, which seems unattainable when there is just so much to do!
Why do I do this every year? I mean, why do I jump onto the band wagon of Christmas preparations, creating a load of extra work on the home front…cards to write, presents to wrap, people to see, huge volumes of food to prepare…just for one day.
For many, the true meaning of Christmas (as a holy day in the Christian calendar) has been replaced with the commercialism, the hype and the expectations…and of course I buy into it all, because I want Christmas to be fun, magical and amazing, just like the adverts promise!
As a child, I fully agreed with Wizzard – ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day’. Nowadays, when I hear the song playing, my inner Scrooge pipes up ‘I don’t’!
I wish every day could contain the sentiment and good intentions of Christmas, just without the hype and high expectations we set ourselves.
So my thought for today is “How could I do things differently next year, so I hold onto the ‘goodwill to all men’ intentions of Christmas every day?”
Keep pausing and keep coming from Love – that would be a good start, I reckon!
So my intention is to pause for a couple of weeks and redress the work-life balance by focusing on my own, beloved family.
I wish you the Christmas you desire for yourself and others…and may 2017 bring you everything you wish for…and more.
See you next year xxx