Dear Friends,

They say, “T’is the Season to be Jolly!” Well, that isn’t true for everyone. It can be the season of stress and anxiety with trying to budget gifts when the budget is already stretched to the max. It can be the stress of gathering with relatives that you really don’t like–or at least glad to see only once a year. It could be the sad remembrance of a loved one who has passed–and no matter how long ago, missing them can make you sad.

So, what can we do about changing the sadness and frustration with crowds and the hype to “Buy! Buy! Buy!”? Perhaps you can resolve to shorten your gift list to children under a certain age. Drop gifts for the adults. With four adult children and their spouses, plus eight grandchildren, I limit my gift list to the grandchildren until they read adulthood. Being a “Senior Citizen” with a limited income, I can appreciate this concern for others in today’s world. Guilt can add to the stress. Expectations do it too.

So, get off the treadmill of the Christmas Blahs! Resolve to keep your energy up by taking special care of your emotional, mental and physical needs this season. Avoid foods you know don’t agree with you. Avoid the crowds in the mall where the energy is all over the place. Spend time in meditation and quiet. Turn off the radio, the cell phone, and the TV and allow silence to calm your soul. And always give thanks for the blessings in your life. Focus on the good–refuse to worry about what you have no control over. Refuse to get involved in other people’s negative stuff. Avoid trying to “fix” other people’s problems–unless you’re specifically asked to do so. Let their story be theirs–not yours.

And so, dear friends, protect your soul during this hyped up season-turned-into-a-commercial- nightmare! Focus on the real story of a master soul coming to our planet to bring a new thought–“Love one another!” And then you can rejoice that this Christmas was the best one of your life!

A Blessed and Joyful Christmas to each of you.

Betty Rae