Tag: Self Care

Holiday Traditions

Sunday Shares: Holiday Rush to Rest

Mona Alvarado Frazier

It’s been a week. Sigh.

I had a car accident on the way to a holiday party. An unidentified, unsecured, flying object tumbled onto my freeway lane. It was a box the size of a big-screen TV. Before I could safely swerve out of the lane, I hit the UFO. The CHP had to do a freeway block across the lanes to pick up the debris.

We were not injured, but the bumper and headlight were destroyed.

The next day, I tried to cheer myself up and make the best of a bad situation. I listened to traditional, jazzy, and lo-fi Christmas music for the next few days. Gave gratitude that the only sore spots on my body were my lower back and my irritation that the driver of the other car didn’t stop.

Without a car, I’ve slowed down and reflected on past holidays.

When I was a single mom during the holiday season, I was working full-time, shopping for gifts, decorating the house, helping with the tamale making, corraling three active kids who had holiday recitals, wanted to see Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, and visit the two Christmas Tree Lanes in different cities. (I’m sure I left something out).

Now my kids are adults, and the holiday rush has become less active. It’s now a holiday rest.

red, green, white Christmas character on front yard with. lights

What remains is making pork tamales with my mom and sisters a week before Christmas, making vegetarian/vegan tamales with my kids, and getting together with them and their SO’s on Christmas Eve. We have a potluck, drink champurrado, and play games.

Two new plans on our holiday calendar are:

  1. Make a gingerbread house. I don’t know how that’ll turn out, but we’ll see how it goes.
  2. Placing our 106-year-old Baby Jesus in the manger. He came to us with an exciting story about how he lost his pinkie finger. (How that happened is in my monthly newsletter).

I’m grateful the car incident didn’t leave us physically damaged. And for that, I’ll celebrate. And rest.

The poem for this week is more lighthearted.

Best wishes for a safe and thoughtful holiday.

Stress

Sunday Share: No to Holiday Stress

Mona Alvarado Frazier

The middle of December approaches like a surprise snowstorm.

The time between November thru January may accentuate what is missing from the season, like losing a loved one, dwindling finances, or poor health.

On top of that, the holiday expectations to be ‘jolly and light’ or have the perfect decorations or bake elaborate cookies and meals are added stress.

This is my two cents, but when I’m feeling stressed, I stop whatever I’m doing and sit with my feelings. I give them room. Not all day, but an allotted time. Sometimes it’s five minutes, others it’s twenty minutes.

Holding space for your feelings validates their importance. And it gives you time to balance it with a way to fill the empty. A method that doesn’t sink you any lower.

A few actions I’ve thought about countering stress are assembled in this poem, my attempt at a Christmas tree.

Christmas List


🌟
Rest
Apologize
Give a hug
Forgive yourself
Be kind, be gentle
Give a soft answer
Seek to understand
Encourage someone
Express your gratitude
Seek out a forgotten friend
Have a cup of hot chocolate
Eat a Christmas cookie or two
Take pleasure in nature's beauty
Love

I received a few Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) of my novel, The Garden of Second Chances. Subscribers to my newsletter had a chance at a drawing. A random generator chose the name.

Subscriber Danielle B. won a copy of the novel. Thank you to the several subscribers who entered. I’ll let you know when I have a giveaway on Goodreads.

My monthly newsletter will go out on December 17th instead of December 24th. Also, the last Sunday is Christmas, so I’m forgoing the Sunday Share post until January.