The Gift of Time

Life gets stressful this time of year. Into our already busy schedules we must cram shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, more cooking, holiday concernts, holiday parties–the list goes on. We are exhausted by all of these demands, but we try to keep up with the obligations, to try to create holiday magic and make holiday memories that we hope to treasure for years to come. I am not yet ready to plunge into the holiday madness, but I feel the pressure mounting as I see the trees go up, hear the Christmas Musak at the grocery store, and start fielding questions about what I want for Christmas.

What I really want is time. Time to relax. Time to enjoy my family and friends. Time to appreciate the simple pleasures and small joys of the season. Time to contemplate the miracle of the Virgin Birth, the King born in Bethlehem, the ultimate message of Hope and Love.

Today, I started off my holdiay season on the right foot. When I was planning my weekend, I turned down an invitation from a friend because I felt that I had too much to do around the house: laundry, groceries, bills, paperwork. But this morning I reassessed my priorities and rearranged my day to schedule time with friends first, and work in those chores as best as could.

I ended up having a great day.  I met one friend for a bit of shopping (honoring Small Business Saturday, the first stop was Artisan Confections for chocolate of course!) and lunch. Later, another friend came over to go for a brisk (frigid?) walk. Miscommunications with her husband left her “stranded” at my house for longer than she intended, and our short window of time together stretched into a few hours and a quick dinner. It was so nice to have time to catch up. Even though she overstayed our original plans, she certainly didn’t overstay her welcome. I gladly would have opened another bottle of wine and spent the evening chatting.

At the end of the day, I realized that my friends and I shared the best gift we could give each other–the gift of time. It really is the most precious gift because we can’t get it back, take it back, or return it.

While the media is full of suggestions on how to spend your money wisely during this holiday season, I want to focus on spending my time wisely, with people I love. The moments we share talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company will make more lasting memories than the latest, hottest, must-have gadget, and will leave us refreshed instead of drained as our celebrations reflect the true “reason for the season.”

(And, yes, I managed to get my laundry done, bills paid, and groceries ordered from Peapod.)