Let’s discuss December.
Do you love it?
Do you dread it?
I used to dread it. I’m not normally an anxious person, but December could be such a whirlwind that everything started to blend together. Everything was just something to get through. But more recently, I have tried to be purposeful in slowing down and being focused throughout the month of December. I have started to say “no” to a lot of things that I don’t love about the season, and with that I really get to enjoy saying, “yes,” to the things that I love.
So! Here are my yes’s and no’s of the month of December!
My Yes’s in December:
Jesus: Always an absolute Yes. Each November I will decided on an Advent study to do. For the last few years I have read through, “The Greatest Gift,” by Anne Voskamp. With my kids, we read through the companion to that, “Unwrapping The Greatest Gift.” These books guide us through the stories that lead up to the birth of Christ. This gives us time each day to recognize that Jesus’ birth really is the reason that we do all that we do throughout this season. That it is all leading up to the pivotal celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Also, the time spent with my church, learning and worshiping, is so important to me. I didn’t grow up going to a Christmas Eve service, but our church does this and it has become one of my absolute favorite things about Christmas.
My family: They are an absolute Yes to me. The time spent talking and laughing, baking, eating, watching Christmas movies, reading books. My family of four is an absolute yes, but also my extended family. I want to be with them during this season and I try really hard to make sure that I can enjoy them.
Friends: For sure! I make sure that there are times scheduled throughout this season for some coziness with friends. Maybe it’s having a couple friends come over to help decorate cookies, or time spent dipping different Christmas treats together one afternoon. A silly white elephant gift exchange with a couple families. This time is priceless to me and it has started some of my favorite traditions.
Decorations: Oh my word, YES!! Give me all the sparkly lights, the smelly candles, the mistletoe, the Nativity scenes. The cozier the better. And I will be so sad when I have to take it down. In February.
Me time: For sure a necessity. I have to spend purposeful time thinking about the present year and what I would like my next year to look like. Usually, I pick a word or a phrase that I want to focus on the next year. In 2018 I chose, “rooted and firmly established” and this year’s, 2019, was “truth that leads to freedom”. And both years, I have felt like I have come away stronger in those areas. I’m already thinking that I know what phrase will be for next year and I am pretty excited.
Because I want my “Yes’s” to be enjoyable, there are also some things I say “no” to. And this is just me and maybe some of these things are absolute yes’s to you, and I love that for you, but these were just things that I realized caused me more anxiety and dread than there need to be.
My No’s of December:
Sending Christmas cards: Nope! I love to get them, but just thinking about doing all the work of sending them makes me want to cry. (That is not dramatic! That is my truth!)
Ladies’ nights/open houses: Probably not. (There is some flexibility there, but I don’t feel guilty for not doing this anymore.)
Christmas cookie exchanges: Heck to the NO! There are very few Christmas treats that I look forward to all year long. Your sugar cookie recipe is probably not the same as mine, and I want mine, so I will bake my own, thank you very much!!!
And, I’m sure there are more yes’s and more no’s that I will think of as December continues.
What about you? What are your absolute yes’s and no’s?? I want to know!!
