This morning I dragged myself to yoga. It was cold outside, and I was comfy drinking my coffee even as I sat at my desk and tried not to panic at the pile of work that was waiting for me.
I made myself go, and as I sat on my mat and worked on getting centered, our yoga teacher mentioned that she was not sure if she was ready to turn the page on the calendar to December. It would set in motion the chaos of the season: shopping, wrapping, decorating, cleaning, cooking, and entertaining.
Put that way, I suddenly wasn’t sure I was ready either, and that says something because I love everything Christmas. I would be happy if radio stations played Christmas tunes starting the day after Halloween, but I was feeling overwhelmed.
I have to admit that I start the season with Martha Stewart-like aspirations. I have grand plans that include making a gingerbread house from scratch, making all my gifts by hand, and raising the goose that will be Christmas dinner. I do go off the rails a little.
But as the day approaches, I grow weary of all the demands on my time, my money, and my energy. As I realize it will never happen the way I had pictured it, my goals lessen, and I end up with “Meh, good enough.”
And that’s where Grace comes in. In the past when I would reach this point, I used to beat myself up, be so disappointed, and feel like a failure, and then I realized, I had shown up; I had given it my effort, and I realized that was enough.
Sometimes it’s difficult not to want and expect the holiday we see in movies and magazines and social media, where everything is shiny and bright. The bar gets raised to unattainable heights. The true spirit of Christmas tells us it should be a time of peace on earth and goodwill to men, and everything is so far from it that sometimes it all feels like a sham.
And that’s where Grace sneaks in today just as it did that very first Christmas. It’s not as if everything was perfect back then either, from the birthing environment to the state of the government, and Grace found a way despite it all. When things get chaotic and maybe disappointing, here’s wishing you Grace both for you, your loved ones and all those you come in contact with.
