This Holiday Season

This holiday season, I can’t help but reflect on the past year.  There are no words to describe it,  so I only wish to pass on the positive mantras that have helped me, and my hope is that they  can help you, too.

1. Presence, not presents.  I am giving the gift of trips this holiday season with family  members to my children.  They will be spending time with their aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins and visiting museums and zoos and baseball games and other fun events that will create memories.

2. Make time for your family.  Life is short, spend time with your family and friends as much as you can. Make memories.

3. Don’t sweat the little stuff.

4. Cherish your children.  Maybe they don’t speak.  Maybe they can’t communicate as well as you would like.  Maybe they don’t make progress as fast as you would like.  But your children are special.  Make them laugh.  Sing the same song over and over and over and over just because it makes them smile.

5. Sing loud.

6. Try and see something positive in everything, even if it’s hard.  

7. Wear crazy pants.

8. Wear red lipstick.

9. Say what you mean. Mean what you say.

10. Do your best.  When you fall asleep at night, know that you worked as hard as you could and helped make the world a little brighter.

11. Read books.

12. Make the best possible decisions with the information you have.  And don’t be upset if new information at a later date makes you change your mind.  Be flexible and understand that life is dynamic.

13. Eat healthy….most of the time.

14. Get outside and enjoy nature.  Go for a walk.  Hike a mountain.  Ride a bike.

15. Most of all do what makes you happy.  

Sometimes the questions are complicated but the answers are simple - Dr. Suess