Holiday preparations

Aloha!

James and I are enjoying a quiet evening at home. Our suitcase is packed for a long weekend at his parents' home. (Most of the kids are off with their other parents this year, so we have only Tori joining us for this trip- and no, her stuff's not packed.) James finished making our contributions to the "feast" earlier this evening. We're always careful to make sure we bring a few things we can eat. That's a consequence of choosing an unusual diet (strictly plant-based), and we consider the benefits well worth the effort.

Does anyone else notice that holidays seem to bring in lots of opportunities for choosing? How do you relate to those choices, and the opportunity to choose? We have been planning the C'burg trip since September. Two kids in different marching bands covered the weekends quite effectively until last weekend. Then last week we received notice of a farewell party for dear friends who are moving to Colorado next month, and an invitation to Thanksgiving at my brother's farm. And a friend just called about a Sunday morning gathering for healing.

Choices! How do you approach them? We have the plan, and other wonderful opportunities. And the flexibility in all these to let choices ride for a few days and play it by ear. We'll swing by my brother's on the way home, whether that is Saturday or Sunday. After our last holiday weekend traffic (and accidents on the Interstate), part of me is inclined to head home on Saturday.

Considerations when choosing?
It helps to remember values and priorities I've identified. The key words I use right now are: sparkle, create and connect. We won't be running around so much that we don't have time to connect with our family members wherever we land. We will be delighting in the experiences of each moment.
Self-care: what do I need to be well at this point? What does James need, since he'll be doing most of the driving?
And only after that am I going to weigh in with other people's expectations for our time. I'm fortunate that both sides of our family support, even encourage that attitude.

Well, James is sitting by himself in front of our fireplace. I'm going to go share that with him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary