Christmas Blessings

Are you breathing a sigh of relief today?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for the past few weeks. The only thing I had planned for today was to sleep in!

Don’t get me wrong.  I love Christmas!  But I’m in that sandwich generation stage of my life, where I’m spread pretty darned thin between my kids and my parents. We had so much going on this year that I didn’t do any shopping until after the first week of December.  Every single day this month has felt rushed, for one reason or another. I needed some extra hours that never materialized. And yet, now that it’s over, I feel a strong sense of let-down. Somewhere along the way, I feel like I missed the magic of Christmas this year.

But sleeping in provided some much needed rest and affords me a different perspective as I start the day.

While I may be spread thin, I have much to be grateful for.

My family lives close by so I am able to spend time with my kids and my parents. There are many families who do not have this luxury.

I have a good job that allows me to pay my bills and support my family. I could afford to buy Christmas presents, even if I did shop late. I was able to feed everyone a good Christmas dinner.  There are some less fortunate who are not able to do these things.

I have a roof over my head and a warm place to stay during these cold, snowy days of winter. Not everyone does.

So while I may be breathing a sigh of relief that the Christmas rush is over, I’m also breathing deeply of all the good things in life, holding them close in my heart.

And if, like me, you have been burning that candle at both ends – stop for a moment. Look around – really look at what is around you. Then take a deep breath.

Maybe the magic is in recognizing all the blessings we DO have!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!