There are only ten days left until Christmas! The tree is up and decorated, we made our first batch of mince pies this afternoon, and Nathaniel has already eaten all of the chocolates in his advent calendar.
Flashback to last year. We had just moved....again!.....temporarily....and were simultaneously enjoying our friend's wood burner stove and anxiously making sure that the kids didn't fall into it in their excitement as they performed somersaults on the unusually large leather sofas.
That Christmas, our first back in the UK for 10 years, proved to be rather stressful, for various reasons, and Hubbie and I were determined to make some changes for 2014.
I wonder if anyone's like me. We hear talks or podcasts about 'Learning to Say No', and we nod along, agreeing with the sentiment that already-overstretched-mothers like ourselves need to be firm in not consenting to take on the role of PTA treasurer, or agreeing to host the next bake sale, or whatever it might be that others ask us to do that, to be honest, we know will turn us into 'angry-stressed-mummy' for the days leading up to the event, to the detriment of our quivering, 'quick-get-out-of-her-way' families. But then this year, since no one is really asking me to do anything extra, I feel I can tick this 'Learning to say no' business off my list. Check!
So then, why was I so stressed come the end of November? After a chat with my husband I realised it was because
You see, I'd placed all these unrealistic burdens on myself, thinking that they were essential to my Christmas to-do list, when really they weren't. I had already posted off three parcels to missionary friends overseas and filled two shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with my children (which stupidly involved turning up at the supermarket with all four children in tow on Black Friday morning, blissfully unaware that that particular phenomenon had hit the UK - I mean, why??? We don't even celebrate Thanksgiving!) and I was already burnt out.
Yes, these are all lovely, thoughtful things to do at Christmas, but I had never really examined them to see if I needed to say 'no' to any of them.
The next thing on my to-do list? Christmas cards. With a new-found sense of freedom in my heart, I cut down my list to an absolute bare minimum. People would understand why they didn't get a Christmas card from us this year, it would be OK. Next year, hopefully, I could add them all back onto the list, but for now, for the sake of my sanity and my family's well-being I needed to say no....
...to myself...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to send all these Christmas cards out every single year or people will be offended...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to complete this particular Christmas craft activity series with my kids otherwise their Christmas won't be complete and meaningful...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to rush out and buy more Christmas decorations for our new house, instead of making do with just the basics this year.
So here's to a stress-free Christmas season! Merry Christmas!
Oh, and if you were on my Christmas card list....um....er.....sorry about that. I think the postman's dog ate your card....ahem.
Flashback to last year. We had just moved....again!.....temporarily....and were simultaneously enjoying our friend's wood burner stove and anxiously making sure that the kids didn't fall into it in their excitement as they performed somersaults on the unusually large leather sofas.
That Christmas, our first back in the UK for 10 years, proved to be rather stressful, for various reasons, and Hubbie and I were determined to make some changes for 2014.
I wonder if anyone's like me. We hear talks or podcasts about 'Learning to Say No', and we nod along, agreeing with the sentiment that already-overstretched-mothers like ourselves need to be firm in not consenting to take on the role of PTA treasurer, or agreeing to host the next bake sale, or whatever it might be that others ask us to do that, to be honest, we know will turn us into 'angry-stressed-mummy' for the days leading up to the event, to the detriment of our quivering, 'quick-get-out-of-her-way' families. But then this year, since no one is really asking me to do anything extra, I feel I can tick this 'Learning to say no' business off my list. Check!
So then, why was I so stressed come the end of November? After a chat with my husband I realised it was because
It wasn't just about saying no to other people, I had to say no to myself too!
You see, I'd placed all these unrealistic burdens on myself, thinking that they were essential to my Christmas to-do list, when really they weren't. I had already posted off three parcels to missionary friends overseas and filled two shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with my children (which stupidly involved turning up at the supermarket with all four children in tow on Black Friday morning, blissfully unaware that that particular phenomenon had hit the UK - I mean, why??? We don't even celebrate Thanksgiving!) and I was already burnt out.
Yes, these are all lovely, thoughtful things to do at Christmas, but I had never really examined them to see if I needed to say 'no' to any of them.
The next thing on my to-do list? Christmas cards. With a new-found sense of freedom in my heart, I cut down my list to an absolute bare minimum. People would understand why they didn't get a Christmas card from us this year, it would be OK. Next year, hopefully, I could add them all back onto the list, but for now, for the sake of my sanity and my family's well-being I needed to say no....
...to myself...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to send all these Christmas cards out every single year or people will be offended...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to complete this particular Christmas craft activity series with my kids otherwise their Christmas won't be complete and meaningful...
....to my perfectionistic self which says that I need to rush out and buy more Christmas decorations for our new house, instead of making do with just the basics this year.
So here's to a stress-free Christmas season! Merry Christmas!
Oh, and if you were on my Christmas card list....um....er.....sorry about that. I think the postman's dog ate your card....ahem.
Abide in Him!
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