From the Desk of Aly B.
How Soon is Too Soon?
We were barely a few days into this month of GRATITUDE when I started to see everything Christmas popping up all around. Retail stores packed with Christmas products, Christmas decorations on my neighbor’s front porch, and radio stations flipping from their preferred genre to ALL Christmas-ALL Day. It made me kind of sad because I have always loved the month of November. The single month we truly set aside to say THANK YOU for all the blessings bestowed upon us. As much as I too love the season of Christmas, I couldn’t help but wonder…How Soon is Too Soon?
I started to ask several people in my inner circle and quite honestly the answer is that there is no single answer. It is a matter of personal preference, and it depends on the context of the celebration. For some friends they have everything decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving because they only get to see certain family or friends once a year. Others tell me they have everything ready to go by early November because they work in a job that doesn’t allow them any free time for preparation during the last two months of the year. Others tell me they follow their church calendar and only start preparing once Advent begins. And still others tell me they never even put up a tree until a day or two before Christmas Eve. Some people start early because they want to maximize the time they can enjoy the Holiday spirit. Others believe that you take one Holiday at a time and remain committed to celebrating Thanksgiving first and foremost. Who am I to judge when soon is too soon?
My personal choice is to find balance in it all. This way you don’t lose focus on all things you are most grateful for, and yet you can share small Holiday experiences that lead you into Christmas Day. Whatever you decide to do-let your heart lead you.
- Maximize your enjoyment-but don’t let it consume you! Do not let FOMO (fear of missing out) add stress to your Holiday season.
- Take small steps. Set aside multiple days to shop for gifts, add decorations, bake cookies, visit community events instead of trying to pack it all in at once.
- Schedule time to share joy with others. Maybe host a “friends-giving” dinner with a potluck where you can share favorite dishes. Maybe volunteer to serve food at a soup kitchen. Host a wrapping party with friends where you can share wrapping supplies and enjoy time together. Maybe host a Holiday sing-a-long featuring timeless classics in addition to contemporary tunes
An Attitude of Gratitude is really all you need.
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