The real spirit of Christmas

،§Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.،¨ ~ Calvin Coolidge

We all get very excited at the idea of the celebration that goes on during the holidays, but sometimes we really have to work hard to deal with the holiday stress. Holidays are a wonderful time to Be the Change, to improve family holiday stress and still maintain our own boundaries. It،¦s a time of year when family forgiveness goes a long way.
Remember how you left home and established a new life with your new spouse, your new in-laws, and eventually your children? So did all your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. And yet, when you bring back together families and their idiosyncrasies and it lead to family holiday stress. When you،¦re thrown back together again, just keep in mind that this is supposed to be a time for rest, relaxation and for good times together.
Sometimes, broken relationships are out there dangling and unresolved. They get together when the family re-assembles, too. It would be very smart to think through these kinds of events long before they happen so that the harmony can be maintained.
This is where family forgiveness goes a long way; forgive your dad for not spending enough time with you when you were growing up. Forgive your sister who used to swipe your wardrobe for her dates. Forgive your cousin who flaunts his wealth in the face of your seeming poverty. And do all this forgiveness from deep in your heart early in December before you ever have to see any of these folks face to face during the holiday stress time, so that when you are in their presence, you can recall your forgiveness exercise and make that decision the one you will abide by.
Forgiveness takes someone with enormous character to actually be effective. You have to really mean ،§I forgive you all your slights or intentions against me،¨ when you say it, and if you are one of those Big Character individuals, you will create a warm and wonderful Christmas for yourself, because this exercise is done inside you alone. That ،§other،¨ will never know about it. And here،¦s how it،¦s done:
Sit in your most comfortable chair. Place another chair facing you, and mentally invite the one you are forgiving to sit in that chair. Ask them to look you in the eye but not to say a word. Then begin your litany of forgiveness:
„Z I forgive you for (fill in the blank.)
„Z I forgive you for (fill in the blank.)
„Z I forgive you for (fill in the blank.)
Continue with this exercise until you can no longer conjure up one more thing for which to forgive them. When you see them at family get-togethers, picture them sitting in front of you, silent, and at the least, you can give them a smile at this memory.
When you learn how to do this family forgiveness correctly, your holiday stress and family stress will be greatly reduced and you can enjoy the holidays!
It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one s fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit. ~ Isabel Currier.




Let this be your Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas

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