Day 9. The Joy Of Downsizing

"It's not all needful"

Sometimes we need the courage to say, I can't do it all this Christmas.

Sometimes we're so stressed and our energy levels are so low from these too-hectic lives we lead, when it comes to adding the holiday festivities and all those expectations to everything else, it about sends our minds and bodies over the edge. Shoulders sag. And feelings of being overwhelmed threaten to make us want to go to sleep and not wake up until January 1st. Such is the dilemma of our modern 21st century version of Christmas. 

So why can't we downsize the whole celebration? Pare down to what really matters. Do fewer, smaller, and less of everything.    

Don't haul out all the boxes of home decorations and holiday dishes. Just bring out a handful of items that signal meaning for you right now. Maybe all you desire are the pretty Christmas Rose teacups or the mugs with the whimsical snowmen, the package of festive paper napkins, and a string of twinkle lights with red ribbons.

One Christmas not so long ago, my sister was so unwell that she needed some ER treatment on two occasions. There was no way that she could do any shopping, decorating, baking. It was lay down and rest for weeks.

It seemed a little bleak at their house -- there were no holiday treats, no decorating, everything was quiet. But here's what happened just before Christmas.

My mom took an tiny two-foot decorated tree to their house and sat it on the fireplace ledge. I took baking and had holiday flowers with sparkles and greenery sent to the house. When the rest of the family met at my other sister's place on Christmas Day, my sister and her husband had the quietest Christmas. Between them they prepared a little Christmas supper of chicken, a wee bit of stuffing, even cranberries. They dug into my baking. Had one tiny present for each other. And that was it.

She told me later it was the best Christmas ever, even though she was unwell physically.

Why? Because she saw how little it actually took to make Christmas.