I am honored to present a guest post by Sara Goodwin Brown, Great Harvest Burlington, VT bakery owner and guest blogger
I remember a piece of advice that my Dad gave me years ago. He told me "happiness is a choice." As a moody teenage girl the advice was probably not welcome. However, his words have endured in my memory.
I have heard a few people say that they have not yet "felt in the spirit" this year. Perhaps it is the long, warmish stick season and lack of snow in Vermont ( I saw forsythia blossoms the other day!?) that has kept us from feeling the season. So where is the holiday joy, the seasonal sparkle, the childlike wonder that seems more and more elusive every year?
I think that it is found in the moment, which can be a hard place to find between work, the plans, the to-do lists, to-buy lists and the engagements that proliferate during December. To find the moment - any moment during which I can be truly present to see, to hear, to feel, to quiet the buzz of the world and my own mind I have to choose to let go. I have to choose between holding on to that which really matters, which is always people, and letting go of that which doesn't, which is always things.
The demands of work and family do not go away, but I get to choose how I will spend all the moments in between. And as I live each day of this season, I get to choose my attitude, and my approach. I think that I will do my best to choose sparkle and joy over stress.
Photos credits:
forsythia image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
decorating image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
