It Is Friday, Time Is Flying, But Enjoy The Anticipation

Today is the 16th. Hanukkuh begins on the 21st. Christmas Eve is on the 24th. New Year's Eve is on the 31st. Now I realize all of you know these dates .......so why am I writing them in this post, you ask? If you are like I am, then your to-do lists are overly ambitious and guaranteed to cause stress and anxiety as the days on the calendar go by and the hours on the clock tick louder and louder. When this happens I seem to try to kick everything into high gear and just get it all done (must have been all those years in retailing that did this to me). Well, not this year.......I have decided that I want to enjoy the anticipation of the holidays, the actual preparations for them, the shopping and baking and wrapping and decorating, the parties and music........I will not just rush to get it all done this year. Life is so fragile that we never know what can happen between these holidays and those of 2012. Slow down, take some deep breaths, kiss your children and grandchildren, turn off the lights and sit in front of your Christmas tree or your Menorah and remember what the holidays are actually about and why we acknowledge and celebrate them. Enjoy peace, tranquility, togetherness and happy memories. That is what I am going to do!!!

Holiday celebrations create opportunities for our little ones to dress up and join the festivities. We have velvets, plaids, cottons, and knits so visit http://www.malcolmfortots.etsy.com Perhaps your purchase will be passed down for future generations. Be certain to take lots of pictures because they will be enjoyed for years to come. Capture the loveliness and joy of the holiday your family chooses to celebrate whether it be Christmas, Hanakkuh, Quanza or Happy New Year and enjoy these precious moments.

Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men

As the different holidays we celebrate draw closer, I find myself wondering if we humans really do long for peace on earth, good will toward men. If we do, then we need to start by having peace in our homes and good will toward the people we love, people who depend on us, and people on whom we depend. Do we actually hear how we speak to spouses, children, parents, neighbors, and other people we encounter? We should pay attention because careless words hurt people we love, people we know,and people we come in contact with in public settings. Careless words create conflict which disrupts otherwise peaceful homes. Not only do we need to create and maintain peace in our homes and neighborhoods, but also when we venture away from home. Remember that the goal is peace on earth, good will toward all people.... whether we are in cars, on public transportation, in the workplace, waiting in long lines at the Post Office, shopping in busy malls, going to the movies, attending parent/teacher conferences, attending church services, dining out, participating in organization meetings, discussing politics or religion, or anything else we may be doing and anywhere else we might be. It amazes and appalls me when people behave badly toward others. By now we grown ups have realized that life can be hard so why do we want to make life more difficult or unpleasant by being rude,hateful or unpleasant toward others? Why do we feel the need to be disagreeable when we have a difference of opinion with anyone? Why do we exhibit a lack of respect for so many others? Why do we allow children to be disrespectful to anyone whether it be other children, their parents or teachers, or other people in authority? Whether celebrating either Christmas, Hanukkah or Quanza let us all begin the New Year 2012 with a sincere desire for Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward All Men and back up that desire with our actions no matter where we are. I know that life can be made better for everyone if all of us behave better toward each other. That is my hope for 2012.