Have you ever been furiously busy, with your thoughts going in ten different directions, having forgotten the thing you came into the room to do, and found yourself wanting to sit down, close your eyes, cover your ears, and just turn off all the chaos for a minute? I may or may not be having that sensation right now. Thanksgiving prep, kids’ schedules, school activities, work, meetings, holiday shopping, house is a mess, underslept, overstimulated…ACK! Even the things that are self-imposed challenges are still challenging. (I.e., my siblings could be assigned to cook more of the Loveland family Thanksgiving feast, but…I do not trust them to meet my standards, so my long Thanksgiving to-do list is of my own making.)
Now think about your P.E.O. sisters. If you’re juggling life’s duties and disasters, so are they. Their set of stressors might not look like yours, but I assure you, everyone’s list is long this time of year. Everyone is running out of bandwidth.
So, what do we do about it? Even if you can’t unload burdens from your sisters, you can choose not to add to the pile. And that is my holiday challenge to you. Be the person who helps your sister close her eyes, cover her ears, and turn off the chaos, even just for a minute. When you see your sister, let the hug last a couple more seconds than usual. Finish your text message with a silly emoji and remind her that you love her. When you meet her for coffee, suggest spending a couple minutes not talking, and then, just for a few seconds, stop thinking and just breathe. I assure you, the benefit you derive will be reflex.
Much love,
Aidan
November 25, 2024 @ 11:11 PM
May we each reflect on the true gift of Christmas and spread the joy as we live each day.
Lovingly in P.E.O.