Seek true holiday moments and “see ya next year”

This may be the last post of the year, since the gym is closed for 2 weeks and I will be in only sporadically to do office work and some maintainance. How it would be a holiday miracle if I could actually take 2 weeks off. But I am not complaining; I love my job and love having the priviledge of doing it. I truly have a blessed life.

Let me be the last person to offer advice to anyone, especially at this time of year. So this is offered not as advice but as information, maybe food for thought.

I have seen signs that tell me to keep the spiritual side of the holidays as a priority. I actually saw one in the window of a car being driven by a woman who was silently (the windows were up) chewing out an older guy who was slow to pull out of his parking spot at Target. Yeah lady, spirit of the season to you too.

I know people who cast dispersions on others because they celebrate any sort of holiday. They write it off as stupid, out-dated and irrelevant. I am not one of those.  I know people who despise the commercialism of the holiday season but are usually complaining while waiting in line at the check out stand. Tis the season for hypocrites.

I think that there is meaning in the holiday season whether you celebrate it as spiritual or not.  My wife loves the aspect of family time, she has holiday dishes specific for the season, we get a tree and exchange gifts too. I am not a big participant in anything spiritual as my spiritual beliefs aren’t a part of  Christmas or Chanukah, but I can appreciate the beauty of the intention.

There are true holiday moments that I can really appreciate: when someone lets another person skip them in the checkout line, when someone lets a car in that’s been waiting to turn into traffic, when my son’s classmates wish him a merry Christmas and they think saying “see you next year” is still funny. Those are holiday moments.

As we enter 2010 look for the moments that happen all year. Look for a gift that reminds you of a friend, buy it and give it right away, don’t wait for Christmas. Look for ways to help other people celebrate their average day. Give smiles away for free and give your greatest gift, the gift of your time, to your children everyday. Once when I was complaining about how my children can make me crazy sometimes, my friend and co-coach Tracey reminded me that we only get this for a few years and then they are grown. It put things into perspective for me. This holiday, I will give my time freely because when my children are grown, I want them to remember the beautiful holiday moments we shared when they were young. Just thinking that, just knowing that time is the perfect gift makes me smile; and that’s a holiday moment.