As December has raced up upon us we find that we are hurdling towards Christmas and Hanukkah. My Dad always said, “The older you get, the faster time moves”.
Christmas and Hanukkah can be a time of joy and warmth and it can also be an overwhelming time. There are suddenly more responsibilities such as possibly getting Christmas or Hanukkah gifts for a number of people, possibly sending out Greeting Cards, possibly more social obligations for Holiday Parties, and the possibility of more travel. These additional obligations are on top of our regular responsibilities for full-time work, running errands, getting groceries, cleaning the house, looking in on loved ones, and the usual time that we need to put into our primary relationships. Any relationship takes time and effort. There may be less time and less energy for effort at times during the Holidays.
A number of people may have just come off of some heavy traveling during the Thanksgiving weekend. The Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled time in the United States. It was estimated that over 30 million people would be traveling within the Thanksgiving Weekend that just passed.
The travel may have been difficult at Thanksgiving as there were massive storms reaching from the Northwestern part of the United States across the Midwest going up into the Northeast and New England. In the South you may have encountered heavy rains as I did on the Saturday evening after Thanksgiving when I was taking a friend to the airport to travel.
The fatigue from the hustle and energy needed to travel, and being on good behavior while we are visiting friends and loved ones, can be an energy drain. On top of that we are now heading towards Christmas and Hanukkah.
If we can take a moment to reflect on all of the positive things that are happening to us. Those who have spent time and effort into being in a relationship with us. If we can count the blessings that we receive every day. If we can start out counting 5 blessings each morning before we head into the day. That “Thankful Attitude” will go a long way towards keeping us open and available for the joys that often only come at the time of Christmas and Hanukkah.
Try to keep your mind and heart calm and clear and look forward to the special things that happen at Christmas and Hanukkah, and no other time of the year.
At the Law Firm of Steven Andrew Jackson, Attorney and Counsellor at Law, we have helped hundreds of families protect themselves and their loved ones, avoid Estate Taxes and Probate Costs, and keep their Estate Plans current with the law through The Customized Protective Estate Planning Solution™.