Be kind.

Is it more important to you to be right
or to be kind?

Winning the argument,
having the last word,
proving your point.
What exactly have you won, ended or proven?

Much mental clutter is rehashing arguments,
replaying victims scenarios, and
practicing 'shoulda saids'.

Try letting it go.
Try stepping back, biting your tongue,
and surrendering your need to win.

Decide when and where it really is important to
make your opinion known, share a relevant fact,
or end a discussion.

But really, most of the time
being kind is the best kind of winning.
Accept agreeing to disagree and let your
relationship be more important than your opinion.

Walk away and let your kind actions be what people remember.

No wrapping necessary.

Leave your phone in your purse or pocket.
Be with the person in front of you.
Pay attention to the sounds, the smells, the music.

Be present in this moment, now.

The best gift you can give others
(and yourself)
is to pay attention to what is unfolding right this very minute.

Everyone longs to be seen and heard.
Give the gift of your most attentive self.

And may we all be Merry and Bright,
however that looks and feels to each of us........

Preemptive One in. One out.

Take some time BEFORE the holiday to 
sort through your children’s toys.
Set aside the ones they have out grown, no longer play with, are broken, missing pieces or may have never been opened.

Decide an appropriate way to let them go. 
(Donate or throw away)

Clearing out before the new arrivals means there will be space to store the new arrivals.

There may still be time to suggest to people that they give your children experiences
instead of more stuff.
Tickets to the Children’s Theatre.
An excursion to the Children’s Museum or Science Center.
Hiking in snow shoes.
A cooking class at PCC.
A tour of Theo’s chocolate factory.
A day at the Museum of Flight.

Relationships grow when people spend time together.
Bonds form around shared experiences.
Exposure breeds curiosity.

Most kids don’t need another toy, game, puzzle or 
pair of pjs.
They need to spend time with people who care about them,
and who engage their minds and their hearts.

Experiences will be remembered long after December 25^th.

Presents

No, not the kind in a box or gift bag.
The be here now kind.

The being present with the person right in front of you.
The being present with what you’re engaged in now: The wrapping, the cookie tasting, the decorating, the planning, the music, the smells, the lights; this very minute.

The Honor of your Presence is requested in the present.

Slow down.
Breathe.
Pay attention.

Give yourself the gift of connecting.
To your experience, your relationships, 
your own sense of who you most truly, deeply are.

Your presence is a light in the world.