Tag Archive for happy

Chill Out

Chaos leads to discord.  The messier our lives are the more conflict we feel.  Take a look at your too-hectic routine.  Pare that frustrating, never-ending “To Do” list down to just four ways in which you can simplify your life—maybe stop obsessing about a meaningless chore, learning to say “No” to taking on a new task, deciding that having family-time is non-negotiable.  Once you have your four, adopt one a week or month, whichever is less stressful for you.  Practice that simplification until it becomes part of your life.  Soon your frustrations will lessen, leading you away from anger-inducing situations.  You and the people around you will be happier.  In fact, what you used to think of as issues to go to battle over will become ones to be discussed and negotiated.  Make your world a little warmer by chilling out.

Happy or Merry: the December Debate

We’re back to “Merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays.” Many Christians are enraged by “Happy Holidays.”  Apart from the fact that, to be reverent, we should take our greeting out of party mode (“merry”) and wish people a blessed Christmas, I invite everyone to consider this: There are at least a dozen religious holidays in December, not just Christmas. Three are purely Catholic (Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Feast of the Holy Family), others are for all Christians (St. Nicholas Day, Posadas Navidenas, Holy Innocents Day, and Christmas). Muslims celebrate Mawlid el-Nabi and Mawlid un-Nabi, Jews have Hanukkah, and Zoroastrians Zarathosht Diso and Yalda.  Right after New Year’s, when we all tell God that we will try to be better children for Him, comes the Buddhists’ Bodhi Day. Obviously, God in His infinite wisdom, not only made his children diverse but also nudges us toward Him in various ways. So, please don’t take offense if you hear me say “happy holidays.” If I don’t know if a person is Christian, I’ll respect God’s child and the way God is calling to him.

Have a Happy Time Without Me

It’s family time!  My husband and I are flying to Southern California this afternoon to meet our son’s girlfriend of 3+ years and spend Christmas with them.  (She’s pretty brave, letting the two moms get together and possibly plot strategy toward a wedding.)  That means that I won’t be posting again until Monday, Dec. 29.

Meanwhile, I want to wish my Christian readers a very blessed Christmas; and, for all of you who celebrate it not as a religious day but as family time, a very merry holiday.

(If you’re bored and have nothing else to do over the next 5 days, you can always browse through my old blogs.  Nawwwww…..)