"Real Life" Christmas

Well, my last post was the ideal...and today I hit total reality when it comes to the frustrations and stresses of the holiday season. Today I hit the wall, and realized as I do every year, that I am trying to do too much, that I have focused on the unimportant things and let them take over my life...and that I might preach about enjoying all the little things of Christmas, but I too feel the tension and high expectations...and frustrations that everyone complains about! This was my day. I got up, and started working on Christmas cards. Then, I made a trip to Mesa, because I get this meat at a great price, if I buy it in bulk. Then I needed to get home so that people who have bought the meat can come pick it up. Then, my oldest, Jodie, needed to get her hair cut, and buy Christmas presents so we can send them off to her nephews. When we went to take her back to her group home, no one was there, so she continued on errands with me. I went to one store to check out a certain present, and it was about 3 times as expensive as I wanted to pay...so I went home, found the same item on Amazon, and it was even MORE expensive there. See, talk about getting caught up in the thick of thin things--that is me totally today. Then, I snapped at my teenager, because I was tired of running everywhere, and I was frustrated that my house is a mess, and because my trees aren't decorated... and all this stuff just goes on and on. Life just hasn't stopped for me today, or maybe I haven't stopped to really live. OBVIOUSLY, I need to take a TRUE reality check, and remind myself that all these things I got hung up on today really don't matter. SIGH--it is so easy to lose perspective, even when your intentions are good. Thank goodness tomorrow is Sunday, and I won't shop and I won't be so busy, and maybe I can regain some eternal, more meaningful perspective. The problem with Christmas is we try to do our regular life things, plus add a whole bunch more on top of that--and it just doesn't work. WOW--this entry was really time of confession! I am way too human, and way too caught up with "stuff." Here's to a better tomorrow...I hope!