Presence makes the best presents
As published in the Neighbours of Olde Oakville Magazine | December 2024 Issue
Hey there, Santa’s little helper! I see you, making that list, and checking it twice! ‘Tis the season to be…busy, right? After all, you’ve got to deck the halls, and floors and walls, get the year-end files done, exchange cookies, serve the needy, host the most, and ensure that it all looks picture perfect on your social feed and holiday card…among other things.
Stop. Breathe! If you’re not mindful during this “Season of Giving”, you can come down with a very scary case of the wheezy, sneezy, People-Pleasies. Or worse, the stuffy, scruffy, I’m Not Enoughies! Might I propose a mindset shift that will set you free? Your presence makes for the best presents.
I know, it sounds too simple to be true, (and you heard it so many times on the radio that you stopped listening), but all they want for Christmas is you. Groan if you must, but hear me out. Underneath the holiday sweater, behind the micro brew cocktail and designer fragrance is a human being that is wonderful, worthy, and desirable, exactly as they are. Stop looking over your shoulder, it is you… but which version? It’s the raw, unpolished, unphotoshopped, flawed, vulnerable human, capable of meaningful connection that we’re craving to spend time with this season. It’s not the decked out glamazon that paused with a teethy smile for a selfie, then barked at the kids, kicked the dog, and hid in the kitchen, mumbling stressed out profanities and crying into their drink for the rest of the night.
If beautiful settings and things inspire you, if cooking and baking and hosting bring you joy, then by all means indulge in the fun of the season. What I’m inviting you to notice is when your ambitious season’s plans start to rob you of joy, peace, and the ability to stay present in the moment. After all, this has been a really hard year for many of us. It is possible that you just don’t have the same energy and enthusiasm that you might have had in previous years. I’m here to tell you it’s okay to recognize that and choose to do things a little differently this time around.
So ask yourself:
What could I do less of this season, to get more out of the season?
What am I doing out of habit that stopped bringing joy a long time ago?
How do I want to feel and make others feel when I’m with them?
Focus on this instead, so your days may truly be merry and bright.
