So…..Christmas has come and gone yet again. Another year in the books, as they say. And I finally have a little bit of time to sit by my tree and enjoy some quiet. Some down time. And to reflect on this year’s Christmas.
And I’ve decided to label it – The Year of Didn’t
There are usually one or two things that don’t get done, but this year was different. There were so many things that just didn’t get done. Or went wrong. So. Many. Things.
I went through of all the “didn’ts” in my mind. The gifts that didn’t arrive from Amazon, even though they were Prime. The packages that I didn’t get out in the mail. The stocking stuffers I forgot to buy. The presents I forgot to wrap.
I cut my cinnamon roll giveaway list in half. I only made 5 kinds of cookies instead of 13, and I never did get the Greek cookies made, which are a family must.
I didn’t call my mom. I didn’t pick up those gifts for my sisters. I mixed up a couple gifts and people got the wrong ones. I didn’t spend much time with my kids in the midst of all of the racing around, and I didn’t really see my husband at all.
I didn’t. I didn’t. I forgot. I forgot. I messed it up. And by the end, I wasn’t even enjoying it. I wasn’t even looking forward to it. I just wanted to get it over with, which is not like me at all.
And as I sat in the quiet reflecting, I really started to get down on myself. Bad. I was so upset at myself….and by the end of what should have been refreshing quiet time, I felt like the world’s biggest Christmas failure.
Then, in the middle of my pity party, I stopped myself. Enough. So there were some things….Okay, a LOT of things….I didn’t do right. Didn’t get to. Failed at.
But there were a lot more things that went right. That were good. Gifts that made my people smile. And laugh. And cry. There were more things that went right than went wrong. But I was so focused on the didn’ts, I couldn’t see how good it really was it until I took a step back and looked at the whole picture.
Such is life. Things go right. Things go wrong. We remember. We forget. We do it right. We mess it up. We succeed. We fail.
Whether we focus on the failures or the successes is up to us. And can I give you a hint? It’s a lot more peaceful and you stay a lot more content and you’re way less likely to get depressed and quit and walk away if you focus on what went right.
Fess up if you mess up. Learn from the failures. But don’t stay there.
Apologize if you need to. Laugh at yourself. Cry a little if it helps. But move on.
I was reminded of something valuable this year……even in the midst of all my didn’ts and forgots and messed ups – Christmas still went on. And so does life.
And life’s too short to live in the mully-grubs and self-pity of the didn’ts. Of the forgots. Of the I really messed ups.
No one was angry or upset or mad about the didn’ts. And they forgave the messed ups. We ate. We opened. We were together. What didn’t get done just didn’t get done. But Christmas still happened. And we enjoyed it.
And so what. So what that it wasn’t perfect. So what if things didn’t get done or went wrong. In fact, I’m changing its title from The Year of Didn’t to Our Best Christmas Yet.
Tis the season to reflect, especially as we head into the New Year. Take this reminder….skip over the didn’ts and forgots and messed ups. Don’t let them pull you down or hold you back. And skip the pity party. Depression stinks. Focus on what went right and on all the goods – I’m sure there were a lot more of those anyway.
And remember – next year is going to be amazing. God is already there – in your tomorrow….in your 2016 – with amazing things for you. He’s already there calling it good.
What will you call it? What will you focus on? The choice is yours.