Are you stressed about the holidays? Do gatherings exhaust you and leave you feeling like you missed out? Maybe you’re in a new life season and just want to change things up a bit?
Years ago, my family went to an apple orchard. My ten-year-old grandson, Braden, couldn’t get anyone to walk through the corn maze with him. So, with map in hand, he asked me again, “Come on Meema. I promise we won’t get lost and die in there.”
I didn’t want to disappoint my grandson.
There are a couple reasons why “yes” wasn’t the wisest answer. 1. I’m claustrophobic and 2. I was in peri-menopause. Physically, I was fine. But my pinging hormones caused random bouts of anxiety. Overwhelming, heart-pounding panic.
After much deliberation, onward we went. Dry corn husks crunching under our feet.
About 20 feet in, I lost my sense of direction and I was done. Irrational fear created terrifying stories in my head. I panicked, big time. Hence the text (picture above) to my husband. Jeff rescued me and finished the maze with Braden.
Now, this memory makes me smile. I share it to remind us:
It’s okay to change course. It’s okay to tap out.
It’s absolutely okay to put your needs first and say, “I can’t do this.”
Or “Let’s do something different.”
It’s good to accept our limitations. It’s right to choose what’s healthy for our mind, body, and spirit.
Maybe this is the year to order dinner from a restaurant or a grocery store. Maybe it’s time to ask for help in the kitchen (I taught my granddaughter how to peel potatoes).
Or maybe this is the year to just hang out and do a whole lot of nothing 😴
Whatever it is, let’s choose less mess and more time for what truly feeds our soul.
How do you simplify and de-stress the holiday season?
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