The Holiday Season: A Twisted Game of "Would You Rather"
To Do or Not to Do? To Go or Not to Go?
My hands shook as my fingers found the right letters to form words.
I strongly dislike asking for help (and yes, I probably need therapy).
The text was complete.
…no, WAIT!
The characters were juggled again, not that it would make a difference.
I clicked the blue arrow.
Sent!
It was up to my friend now.
Would my husband and I be able to attend the Christmas Party this year?
This was the first time I considered not going to my company’s epic Christmas party, the event the entire organization anticipated all year long.
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go; the stress of preparation was just a lot…
The anxiety.
The heart palpitations.
The shaky-hand-typed text messages.
Did I mention, I don’t like asking for help?
It’s December 1, and all the holiday festivities sound exciting. Each of our friend groups planned their Christmas Parties and Dirty Santa/White Elephant gift exchanges on the same days at precisely the same times. This year feels particularly slanted in the direction of conflicts—or, if I’m reframing the situation in a positive way—overlaps.
How does this happen?
This year we will utilize a friend’s foster daughter’s first birthday party not only as an opportunity to celebrate this sweet baby girl but also to hand off our daughter to another friend’s family for a sleepover (so we can attend the aforementioned epic company Christmas Party). We’ll pick our daughter up at church the next morning.
I struggle when we don’t see our daughter for 24 hours. While it isn’t the first time this has happened, parent guilt is real. However, feelings like guilt and fear don’t dictate our decisions. More important is being intentional about our choices and being where we’ve chosen to be.
Choosing something is declining something else; choosing nothing is still just that…a choice.
Whatever you choose, be where you are.
Note to Self: While at the Christmas Party/date night with the hubby, be there. (Don’t mentally attend the daughter’s sleepover instead. 😳)
“No” is both an acceptable answer and a full sentence.
Choose what gives you JOY this holiday season! 🎄