Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Focus

It's that time of year again.

Tis the season to lose my mind.

It hasn't really begun yet. The true Christmas dash. The madness of trying to fit in all the activities and concerts and plays and talent shows and secret santas and last minute gifts has not even started. And yet, I've already lost my mind.

I have a symphony concert this weekend and we are in overtime with our rehearsals. Last night I had to chauffeur my boys to their basketball practices after school (one practice from 4:30 to 6:30 and the other from 6:30-8) and then hustle out to my own rehearsal. I didn't even get a chance to eat before I left and I didn't get home from rehearsal until almost 10:00. Tonight's rehearsal will go even later. I'm sure the dress rehearsal on Friday will be just as late. It is one of those weeks that I will be thankful to be done with.

This morning I received a phone call from my chiropractor letting me know that I missed my appointment. Again. This is the third chiro appointment in a row that I have missed. They must think I am insane. I have rescheduled this same appointment so many times and each time I missed the rescheduled appointment. Each time I reschedule the appointment I just KNOW I won't forget because I have nothing else going on at that time. And then, of course, a million things pop up at one time and I completely forget to go to my appointment anyway.

The Christmas decorations are up. That was enough to drive me bonkers. Half strings of lights not working, broken Christmas trees (yes, our huge hallway Christmas tree BROKE), favorite decorations not working. UGH! It reminded me of one of my favorite holiday songs. The Twelve Pains of Christmas:


I am happy to announce that I sent out my Christmas cards yesterday, however, I am NOT happy to report that it had a typo on it. Normally I am a perfectionist at editing things like this but this year I let a big mistake slip through. I had uploaded all my pics online, arranged them in a card just the way I wanted them and then wrote, "Merry Christmas from the Smiths" (not our real last name btw- for security purposes). Then when I went to order the cards I couldn't pull it up. So I redid the entire card and forgot the message I originally wrote and instead put "Love, The Smiths".  Except I didn't write "Smiths". I wrote "Smith". As in, "Love, The Smith". So, yeah. That's awesome. I noticed the mistake before I mailed the cards out but I am trying not to stress about silly things (and I'm too cheap to reorder all those cards) so the cards went out as is. *sigh*

And I haven't even really starting shopping for Christmas presents yet. Can you believe that crap? Two weeks left and I haven't started shopping yet! I really have no idea where to even begin. I have no clue what to get the kids. And they don't really know what to ask for either. I'm at a loss.

And yet for some reason I am filled with surprisingly good Christmas cheer. I feel peaceful. I feel joyful. I feel grateful. I went to my kids' school mass this morning and was rejuvenated all over again. The priest told a lovely story and wrapped it in so beautifully to this season that it brought tears to my eyes.

This is such a crazy world we are living in. So many awful, horrible things happen every day. It is depressing. And yet there is hope. I believe in good. I trust that there are more good people in this world than bad. We will never have a peaceful world but we will have moments of love and peace and kindness and we can all do our part to create as many of those moments as possible.

This is such a hopeful time of year. A time to focus on what is truly important.

Love. Hope. Peace, Kindness. Compassion.

Whatever is getting you down this busy, hectic season, I hope you are able to see and feel peace and joy and love.


8 comments:

Bijoux said...

I cannot believe you haven't done any shopping........WHAT?

betty said...

Maybe this could be the year that you do something different than gifts :)

Maybe check to see if the chiropractor's office could call you the day before to remind you of appointment. I used to work in doctor offices and we had a lot of patients that asked for reminders like that which I would just mark on the scheduling sheet :)

Enjoy the season; I know it will go by in a blur!

betty

Kat said...

Bijoux- I KNOW!!!! I'M INSANE!!!

Betty- I am definitely willing to do something else however, my kids still believe in Santa (well, most of them). Kids are only little once. I still want to get them a few exciting gifts. They already get so much less than their friends and nothing really expensive. No electronics. No video games. I don't know. I'm sure I'll think of something. Eventually. ;)
It wouldn't matter if the chiro office called me the day before. I always remember it the day before. It is the morning of that I always forget. BUT, they are going to text me the morning of now. HA! So nice of them. :)
Funny how I never forget my kids' appointments but when it is for me it falls right out of my head.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

I'm so behind. I just ordered my cards today...and it says they won't be here for a week! ACK!!!

I bet nobody notices the typo. I hope that's the case!

I'm trying to see perspective and not stress. But, um, well, not sure it's working!

Tabor said...

Because of our long trip around Thanksgiving, I was way behind for Christmas. I have finished 90% of gifting and just need to wrap, since I am hand delivering most. No mailing!! I have decided not to put up decorations this year. First time in decades, but I think I can handle it I have no kids, just hubby and I and we are cool with that.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

"And yet for some reason I am filled with surprisingly good Christmas cheer. I feel peaceful. I feel joyful. I feel grateful."

Yay for that. I have truly not enjoyed Christmas for so many years due to all the activity. I just seem to click off the chores. Even though the load has lessened for me now, I still don't enjoy it. Perhaps I need to learn your secret as I pretty much just yearn for December 26.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. Enjoy those kids.

Hilary said...

Ahh well it will all come together for you.. it always does. You manage to juggle so much for so many. And you're raising a beautiful family so don't change a thing.. except maybe recording your chiro appointments in a timer alert of sorts.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Ka! (<--- see what I did there?) ;)

Kat said...

Hilary! Ha! Yes, I see what you did. :) Thanks for the laugh!

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson