Passing on the Greetings

Hello, and Happy New Year! 

(Thanks for the offer, AI. I'll write my own blog.)

I'm happy share that I have found a solution to an age-old problem that perhaps has plagued you as well. It has to do with traditions. See, I recently experienced an elusive state commonly referred to as Holiday Season Balance. And I think I did it by eliminating one holiday tradition so I could embrace being present more.  

"What's THAT!?" you ask.

I did an elimination experiment of holiday greeting cards to see whether I'd feel guilt or relief if I passed on it this year. 

Holiday greeting cards are a tradition I adopted from my mother, who got it from her mother, who likely got it from mid-20th century Hallmark advertisements. At the kitchen table with her address book, a mug of tea, and stacks of cards a foot high, my mother spent every night from Thanksgiving to the week before Christmas hand-writing cards. No wonder she is so well remembered as the Queen of Friendship. But whenever I attempted to change this tradition, I felt guilt. 

But times really have changed. Holiday cards made sense when long-distance phone calls were expensive and communication between distant family and old friends was sporadic.  A family photo and a letter in an annual Christmas card was cherished and often preserved in memento boxes forever. 

For years I battled with feelings of overwhelm when I added to my list of friends and business contacts, then guilt and sadness at paring the list down. This year I finally eliminated it, and felt relief. I realized that no love is lost between friendships and business referral connections I've nurtured with care through the years. Although the sentiment of a holiday greeting card is always in my heart, admiring and appreciating every card I receive, I know that the time I reallocated for meditation, self-care, and attending to my household paid me back in joy and good health. 

It is my sincere hope that my words and actions throughout the year mean more than any card I could have written in haste using words my loved ones feel in their heart. 

As a result, December was a delightful month for me. Personally, my family and I stayed well and enJOYed local festivities. We made ornaments at a Creative Expressive Arts workshop here at the studio, attended a professional Nutcracker ballet, and still had plenty of time and energy for my own yoga practice and to meet with clients and students. 

And, to write my own January blog. Thanks for reading.

~Kristen