What’s the most frustrating thing about Christmas Day? I’ll give you three guesses. It’s not timing the dinner correctly so that everything is ready at the same time. It’s not gritting your teeth and rolling your eyes at your obnoxious uncle who thinks he knows everything, and it’s not listening to your sister preparing her list of returns. The most annoying thing on Christmas Day is trying to get the toy packages open so your child can actually play with the toys inside of them.

Every year as the holidays approach, my heart longs for meaning, connection and peace. Unfortunately, the holidays are usually a series of chores, hurriedly getting done in between deadlines and commitments. With my task-driven head, overruling my heart, the holidays never live up to the expectation of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Well, it seems I’m not the only one who can pitch a good hissy fit. Hurricane Matthew threw a hissy fit we will not soon forget. While each of us would like to pummel him back and give him a piece of our minds, we know it’s impossible to win against Mother Nature. As much beauty as she provides, she also has the power to take it all away.

“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years
and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of
yourself and see what happens.”
—Louise Hay

As I pulled out of the driveway to head to Columbia, SC to visit my mother, I had the nagging feeling I was forgetting something. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized I had forgotten all my hanging clothes. I only had the clothes I wore, two pairs of heels and workout clothes. Wanting to take my mother to church for homecoming Sunday, I rushed out and purchased a quick, make-do outfit. It was way out of my normal shopping habits at a store I never go to. It was cheap—like $13 cheap, but it looked OK.