People tend to focus on presents during the holidays.
What can Santa or I buy that can show someone how much I care for them?
This year, I encourage focusing on presence over presents.
Be present
I talked about this a little during my vacation blog, Be present with confidence, but I think it is even more important during this most wonderfully stressful time of the year.
Holiday time can be crazy.
My family celebrates Christmas and I have 6 gatherings I’m invited to, not including work events, and I typically only make it to 3-4 events because I don’t like to overdo my weekends or the traveling around is too much.
I know many families, especially those with divorced parents, end up doing several more celebrations.
I would love the opportunity to spend time with every single person who is important to me but that’s just not realistic.
Being present is more important. Quality over quantity.
It’s not the day, it's the time spent
I recently watched a video where a mom who was divorced when her kids were 1 and 3, but now 16 and 18. She asked them what they disliked most about the holidays. The answer was, "having to do two Christmases in a day."
Not only did they have to leave cousins who played with them, but they disliked how they needed to change their personality from one parent to the next.
Even I noticed that Brooklyn had a different personality with me than with Drake. She may be more playful with him but come to me for comfort. I’m sure that changes more as kids grow.
The message from the mom in the video was to just celebrate Christmas on another date. It doesn’t have to be December 25 for it to be Christmas.
I love that advice.
Although I know my December is filled with Christmas activities, I could see spending a weekend in January or February with friends or family who I didn’t get to see.
It would make it so much more meaningful to spend quality time than chaos of food, games and presents.
Take the stress out of Christmas
Rather than be running around from place to place, be present this year during the holiday hustle.
Enjoy your time with family and friends.
Take in the joy as your children or grandchildren open gifts.
When Brooklyn put the star on our Christmas tree this year, I took pictures but then I just watched and smiled.
I was there in the moment. I was soaking in the memories.
One day, memories is all we will have, or all someone has of us.
Make the most of it.
Presence over presents.
Stay simply confident,
Kayla