Holiday Grinch

The holiday season is typical for bringing out the best, and the worst, in us. The average individual is moved by the need of others and will generally go beyond the normal routine to extend compassion to those less fortunate.

With so much goodwill pouring from our heart and hands we extend that giving to our families by producing outside the norm through decorations, gifts, food and the like.

In the midst of all this goodness the normal chores and responsibilities must be continued.  Dark clouds can dim our celebration with the lack of assistance from family members in completing all the normal, required tasks plus those special extras we have endeavored to do for others. Why the dark clouds?

The lack of appreciation! Why can’t they appreciate what I’m doing for myself? I know this feeling because I stumbled across it the Christmas of ’02. I was rushing to make Christmas pajamas and not getting help, in what I thought was a timely manner, on the other fun and festive plans I had in play. My patience came to an end and the Grinch appeared. The conversation went something like this:

“Why are you so irritated?” In a calm, soothing voice.
“Because I’m trying to get these pajamas done and we need to finish . . .(and so on.)” Agitated and whiney.
“Why are you trying to do (this) now?” Calm and soothing.
“I’m doing it for you guys and I’m feeling very underappreciated!” High pitched and teary.
“Thank you for (all this) but don’t do it for us. We are having a good time without (them).” Logical and matter-of-fact.

Moral of the Story: If you are feeling underappreciated reevaluate who and why you are doing these things; are the decorations because ‘everybody’ else wants them or is it because you like them, is all that food necessary or do you want to have each special dish available, does that individual want that trinket or do you want three gifts for everybody.

If the Grinch starts taking up residence in your heart, stop, and remember what the Who’s down in Who-ville already know, “Christmas dosen't come from a store, Christmas is just a little bit more. Christmas day is in our grasp as long as we have hands to clasp; Christmas day will always be just as long as we have we.”