Wonder why you are not quite in the right “space” right now? You might feel out of sorts or having difficulty with others or work? Oh My Goddess Bloggess and expert Wendi Knox has the answer but it’s sort of a story/allegory. You get to realize that bloggers have issues too– and we live the lives you do. We have problems just like you.
Wendi Knox
The Gift of Presence.
I used to hustle and bustle to find just the perfect this or that for everyone on my list.
But after taking an inventory of my favorite gifts through the years, I’ve realized the things I treasured most weren’t things.
They were moments.
Like the moments I spent as a little girl with my one-of-a-kind grandmother, cutting pictures out of wrapping paper or picking threads up from her carpet. (Seriously.)
“Ma Lillie” had a knack for turning the mundane into magic. Just being in her presence was a gift in itself.
So were the moments I spent in the garden with my beloved Daddy, planting a tiny pink rosebush together. And checking on it each week to see how much it had grown.
Fast-forward several decades, to one of those seemingly small and insignificant moments that happened just last week.
Instead of rushing out the door the other morning, my husband Will stopped, looked me in the eyes and gave me a giant-sized, totally unexpected hug.
“You’re feeling off today, aren’t you?” he said softly.
You know, we’ve shared a lot of meaningful moments in our 26 years together.
But that simple instance of being seen and being heard (even without words) was truly one of the best.
Everyday, each of us is reminded of the fragility of life, the tick-tick-tick of the clock and how little control we have over what happens in the outside world.
So,instead of just wondering about the meaning of life, what if we created more meaning in our lives?
It doesn’t have to be anything big or dramatic.
Here are some small suggestions on giving more presence this season:
Unplug and connect.
Isn’t it wild these days how we share the details of our lives with “friends” we’ve never met. But in person, we connect more with our smart phones than each other?
What if we declared our holidays a technology-free zone? And made sharing a good old-fashioned conversation a gift to be savored?
Enjoy the family drama.
Let’s face it, every family has its crazies.
Before the next gathering, remind yourself that “all the world’s a stage.”
So, when Aunt So-And-So does that that thing that makes your skin crawl, imagine you’re just watching a show at The Theater of the Absurd.
(It helps to have a “theater companion” so you can remind each other “it’s just a play.”)
The gift of listening.
In this bada-bing, bada-boom world we live in, most of us plan our comeback before the other person finishes their sentence.
Well, what if we all just took a long, deep breath and felt what the other person was saying. And then took another breath, before sharing our perspective?
You want world peace? That’s a good place to start.
The gift of being.
We humans carry around a lot of judgment. Adding in all the stress and expectations of the holidays, we become extra hard on ourselves. And each other.
So, try this:
Imagine a great big fire blazing in an imaginary fireplace.
Every time a thought comes up about something or someone being “right” or “wrong,” just toss it in the fireplace.
With each flame, you’re giving yourself and everyone else permission To Be.
Celebrate the present.
It’s easy to get caught up in how things used to be. Or how we wish they were.
But what if we just sipped in this moment, like it was the warmest, richest hot cocoa we’ve ever tasted?
As life changes, it’s hard to let go of the past. But what if we created new rituals for the present?
If money is tight, maybe we take the whole family on a timed shopping spree at the 99 Cent Store.
Or perhaps everyone sits in a circle, passes a candle and tells each loved one why they are a “gift” in their lives.
Really, who cares how our gifts are wrapped?
What matters is wrapping our arms around each other.
Happy Holidays from my heart to yours.
And as a gift to us all, would you please go to the comment section Oh My Goddess Bloggess and tell us “what’s one of your favorite “presence?”
xoxoWendi
PLEASE comment on Wendi’s blog post. SHE WANTS to know!!
Thanks to Wendi Knox for this amazing post and as soon as I read it I knew I had to share it. Now is the perfect time!!
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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its a good thought! stuff money can’t buy!