For those of you who knew me BK (before kids) you know I gave Martha Stewart a run for her money with the dinner parties I threw and the desserts I brought to your house when you had a party. Now that I am slightly over forty and fabulous (as all women who enter this decade are!) – I am wiser. The Holidays bring on a certain level of stress – perhaps we bring it on ourselves. We want to be the perfect mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend, gift giver and party hostess. We shop, wrap, bake, clean, decorate, and repeat. We don’t sleep until the Holiday card is in the mail. School parties, teacher gifts, office parties, co-worker gifts, friends, on and on.
As a woman who runs, and I know all of you are, I am giving you permission, telling you it is perfectly acceptable and highly encouraged to let go a little. This is how you will maintain your sanity for the next few weeks. When asked to bring dessert to a party, order dessert from a local bakery, or in my case – because I waited too long, bring the last few boxes of Hostess Cupcakes you stocked up on before the company folded. I can’t think of a better hostess gift than a box of Hostess treats! If you feel the need to be fancy – present them on festive platter. One of the joys of being over forty is many of us have already learned to let go a little. We’ve let go of unhealthy friendships and relationships whose time has passed. We have given up feeling guilty and doing obligatory things. We have given up volunteering when we really don’t have the time to give. We have given up finding the perfect outfit for every event and have learned to accessorize instead – even if the accessories come from our daughters stash of jewelry.
So, my survival advice to us all. . . let go a little , pour yourself a cup of egg nog and watch that TV special with your kids. Less is more. Do less but be present for the things you choose to do. If you are one of the lucky ones that gets a box of Twinkies or my all time favorite – Oreos still in the package, from me, or any other Woman who Runs, this Holiday Season . . . know that you are in my inner most circle of friends, I love you to pieces and I thank you for being you and for letting me be me. . .
Keep running, hang in there & Happy Holidays!
Kyra