Slowing Down for the Holidays

I am slowing down for the holidays.  Slowing down.  I love the lights.  I love the colors.  I love NYC, especially at this time.  But I also like slowing down.  No rushing. No pressure.  No anxiety.  I like to give gifts organically.  Meaning I do not see gifts as a job.  I wait to be moved to send a card or give a gift, rather than feeling like I have a lot to prove with my gift giving. When I was young my brother would give me gifts from his travels. My daughter in law Ling is a premier gift giver now. She loves finding, sending and giving gifts. My sister Chris and sister in law Nancy: both are great gift givers, my niece Rae as well. I have received such beautiful gifts from them. I also remember my mother's gift giving from w hen I was a child as well as an adult, as I was lucky enough to have her in adulthood too. Her being alive into my adult years  was a gift. That brings me to my point: being alive is the gift. Being in the world is the gift. I read this book called THE COURAGE TO BE DISLIKED. It was a philosophical book with this wonderful message about how being alive is enough,  that to be alive is to make a contribution, and whether or not you prove something in a external way, through family or career or some huge financial achievement, what matters is that you are on the earth relating to other human beings, in whatever way is possible. So now as I say, at Chrismas, what a beautiful time to just listen, and watch, maybe call some friends, maybe not, and if there are children, definitely taking care of them and their little desires. Watching them is a gift too. I take a breath though as I finish this up. I want to smell the fir trees, listen to the rain outside my window right now, study politics which is something very meaningful to me, and remember my dreams and what they are telling me about myself and my world. And doing all this slowly, deliberately, with love, and joy, no pressure. Just love.

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