Island Senior: Simplify For A Meaningful Holiday Season

Sugarplum Fairy - Peggy Sue McRae photo

Island Senior is a reg­u­lar col­umn on the SJ Update writ­ten by Peg­gy Sue McRae…

There is a cer­tain amount of hus­tle and bus­tle that inevitably accom­pa­nies the hol­i­day sea­son. Here are just a few ideas that may help lim­it the stress­es and increase the joys of cel­e­brat­ing the holidays:

Give the gift of shared expe­ri­ences: Instead of buy­ing more stuff, give the gift of qual­i­ty time. Meet a friend for lunch at the Mullis Cen­ter on Bin­go Day or for a spe­cial hol­i­day lunch (to see the month’s menus click on the Update’s Mullis Cen­ter ad). Make a spa date and enjoy time relax­ing with a good friend while you get your toe­nails paint­ed for the hol­i­days. Go with friends or fam­i­ly to see the new Star Wars movie, The Rise of Sky­walk­er, com­ing out Decem­ber 20. Attend a can­dle­light church ser­vice or hol­i­day music con­cert with some­one you love. Or, pos­si­bly my favorite hol­i­day activ­i­ty, invite a friend over for a relaxed evening of cocoa and Christ­mas movies.

Just say no: Its OK not to do every­thing. This is espe­cial­ly true if it involves trav­el­ing in inclement weath­er. Who besides me loves to see snow, not just because its pret­ty, but it is such a good excuse to stay home. Remem­ber though, it is OK to stay home even if its not snowing.

Cul­ti­vate grat­i­tude: Don’t let the sea­son pass you by so quick­ly that you for­get to enjoy it. Remem­ber to appre­ci­ate the lit­tle things; the smell of tan­ger­ines, ever­greens, and pep­per­mint. Appre­ci­ate the big things too; like receiv­ing a card from a cher­ished old friend, watch­ing the delight on children’s faces, and the mir­a­cle that after Win­ter Sol­stice the days slow­ly begin to lengthen.

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.