Take a Moment

Things are winding down for 2017. Christmas is just around the corner, and then it is just a hop and skip to the dropping of the ball. It is so easy to get caught up in the hoopla of the season, in both the magical and manic ways. It is at this time of the year that everything appears to slam into high gear, and it is easy to lose track of the importance of everyday living. Let’s face it: Christmas is about as big as it gets and it comes with all the fanfare of a big event.

So, I am giving advice that I hope I can take. This year, what is left of it, this week, take a moment to remember and give proper homage to the things that prop you up in life. Family, friends, passions, and, hopefully, something greater than yourself have brought you to this place. Celebrate them with the fervor that they deserve. Life has a way of changing fast, and next year at this time may not look anything like this year. That’s okay. Change makes the world go round, and with the opportunity to change comes the possibility of being a better version of ourselves. Hopefully, this year finds you better than you were last year. You have learned and grown through trials and triumphs. It takes both.

This week, smile when the stress of being jolly seems insurmountable. As someone passably wise once said, “fake it until you make it.” Believe me, no matter what your situation, it could always be worse. And Christmas 2017 will only come once in a lifetime. Don’t squander the opportunity to be joyful. Remember, it is the feeling of Christmas that will carry on from year to year. Gifts come and go, but memories that can be cherished are the true gift this season. Spend this week making some lasting memories of your own. The real world will be waiting come January 2nd, but, until then, we get a brief reprise from the real world. Perhaps that is the best gift of all.