Surviving The Holidays

This time of year is wonderful, the weather gets cooler, people seem nicer, it's a season of peace and joy. We actually hear of kind acts, and it warms our hearts.

Yes, it's all of that, and...let's be real here; it's stressful as Hell. You have to figure out where you're going to get money for presents, for food, you have to go or see relatives you don't like, or entertain a house full of people who might not be appreciated.

You might be alone or maybe with someone who you no longer want to be with. You might have bad memories from seasons gone by; there might be a lot of things going on, and for a lot of people, this is definitely NOT a season of peace and joy. 

Recently I was getting stressed, I work a lot, 12 hours a day most days, how was I going to do all of this, get everything done in time. 

Hell, I can hardly get the normal things done like cleaning my house or putting clothes away and now adding shopping, wrapping, grocery shopping, making sauce and then lasagna, shells, and more! Where the hell am I going to find time for all of this? 

I also started thinking about Christmases of the past and how much I miss my family, my mom and dad, the other people who are no longer in my life, and I started to get sad.

Life changes... ready or not, like it or not, this is life. Yes, it was all getting to me.

So I decided I have two choices (see there is that choice thing again) I could wallow in my sadness, stressed out, not looking forward to the holidays or wishing they were over already or I could decide that I can't do everything if some things aren't perfect so be it.

That maybe this is not where I thought I would be, or that I can't change or bring back the people I miss, so I have to do what I tell all of you, I have to be present in the moment.

I have to remember that all that I am blessed with, I have to be happy and grateful as it could have been another way.

I have a home, I have my girls, I have a business I love, we have food and money for gifts. I have family and friends who I love and who love me.

I have a support system in my church and my church family. I have faith. I have so much to be grateful for.

Yes, I may not be where I thought I should be. I may not have everything I want; I may not have all the money in the world, but I do have peace and joy.

Anytime when I'm stressed or when anxiety gets to me, I remember how far I've come. I remember all the past Christmases that I didn't celebrate, all the tears I've cried, the years when I didn't think my life was worth anything, and I was planning on ending it. Yes, who would have thought what a few years would do, how it can change everything? 

It is that that brings things into perspective for me. God kept me here for a reason, my girls need me, I have a purpose and even though I might not think I am where I am supposed to be, it is where I need to be now, there are lessons I still need to learn. 

This keeps me going, look I know it might be tough now, you might feel alone, you don't think you have the strength to survive one more day but you do, you have it in you. You can't imagine how your life can turn around in a second; in one day, everything can be different.

So today my friends remember you had the power to change things and for my change, 

I decided to open my home up to any of my friends and family. Hell, I even posted it on my Facebook page, open-door policy, come on over to my house, bring a chair and your appetite because I know how hard the holidays can be alone or with people you don't want to be with. 

So remember you can change, you're not perfect, you don't have to be or don't have to have everything, you're stressed, so change... Let it all go... live in the moment, be grateful for even the small things, the bigger things will come later, it's okay, you will survive and you will survive the holidays as well.