It's next week!

I don't know about you but it seems like holidays come faster and faster with each passing year. I'll be honest, Christmas snuck up on me. I had prepared beforehand, but awaiting the day has been less anticipation and more "Oh, it's right around the corner." I am honestly grateful for this pleasant recollection of the holiday. Instead of nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing panic that not everything is perfect, I am experiencing (possibly for the first time in my life) a sense of ease. I had decided earlier this year that I was going to treat myself with more grace, and in honor of that pact I have been letting go of my usual desire to fixate on every little detail. Instead, I have decided to adopt a "good enough" mindset with things I would normally obsess over. 

If you can't already tell, I am a "recovering" Type A personality. I say that as in, I don't think I was really meant to be a Type A, at least not naturally. I believe I was always more of a Type B person but it was buried down deep underneath conditioning that required perfection. I was expected to pay attention to details, act with precision, always be punctual, and control variables to the best of my abilities. For someone who was expected to be flawless, holidays became times of stress rather than enjoyment. For Christmas, it was always about finding the best deals, the perfect gifts for everyone, and presenting it to them in appealing wrappers or bags. This was done not days nor weeks in advance, but months ahead of time. Imagine buying Christmas presents in June and that was me.

So, to realize that I am putting in practice the thing that I promised myself is a sort of Christmas present but just for me. It isn't the stereotypical gift, but it is heartwarming in a different way. It is a reclaiming of a piece of myself that I hadn't let rest. I am releasing myself to actually rest this holiday. I won't perform. I won't expect. I won't search. I will simply rest in the day that was meant for me to remember the truly important things in life. For me, this year is all about resets. I am actively pursuing rejuvenation and recovery because that is what is most needed. I remind myself that even Jesus rested and if this holiday is largely about Him then I better make it a priority just as He did.

If some of this resonated with you, know that it took me a long time to even get to this point in my personal journey. It may have even been something I've repeated from years past but never truly achieved. I think the important thing is that I am still genuinely trying to make it happen. The thing is then I was trying to rest, but now I simply am resting. What a world of a difference that differentiation makes. If you are anywhere on this spectrum, I am wishing you not only Happy Holidays but restful ones as well. And as the New Year is right around the corner along with resolutions galore, you can guess what I will be focusing on in the next year☺

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas prepping

We have started the countdown! Holiday shopping and chaos ensues. I recall the busyness of this season as part of the nostalgia of yuletide, but as an adult it can be less enchanting. We have to think of all the details and make sure that this magical day comes together as seamlessly as possible. Once a kid and now an adult, I have behind-the-scenes knowledge of how this particular holiday comes to be. In fact, as a mother, I am one of the crew that makes sure it all happens according to plan. I gather the gifts and shell out the money. I ensure the cookies (now gluten free) and milk get ingested. I decorate the space so it fits the enchanting ambience of the holiday. Adults make the dream happen!

Yet, one of the memories that comes back to me (and still haunts me 'til this day) is that of Christmas wrapping. My mother was a stickler for precise, beautiful gift-wrapping. If it wasn't done exactly to her specifications, she would nitpick and critique me until my ears rang. In fact, she was so particular that if she felt you were not up to her standards she would make you redo everything from the very beginning, start to finish. It was one of the things we would be expected to do for others - to wrap their presents with care and intention. However, it was also the reason why I became a "just throw it in a gift bag" sort of person. I am not one for wrapping a gift that will soon be torn into pieces anyways. To me, it seemed just as effective to put gifts in pretty bags with lovely tissue paper than to spend time wrapping everything.

Yet, there is something heartwarming about getting something wrapped prettily. I understand the sentiment completely - I just don't want to be the one expected to do it. That being said, it is still a very important part of Christmas, although it may be a challenge finding a place that still does this activity. Well, look no further! Yours truly, the Portland District Library, is offering a gift wrapping program that will get you out of the house and enjoying the company of adults while you conceal presents in festive papers. This program will ensure that you can safely wrap your gifts without the prying eyes of inquisitive children trying to sabotage your efforts.

There have been two dates already passed, but you can still join others as they enjoy hot chocolate, holiday music, and a plethora of wrapping materials if you're interested. We will be hosting this again on December 17 from 2:00pm-8:00pm and December 22 from 1:00pm-3:00pm. We have plenty of wrapping materials left including wrapping paper, bows, tape, various sizes of bags and boxes, pens and pencils, wrapping tissue/tissue paper, and scissors. We are inviting the community and anyone interested in using our free wrapping materials to join the holiday spirit in this timeless tradition.