Tis' the season when time seems to move a bit faster and our calendars are booked with fun festive events. Mariah Carey sang it best "All I want for Christmas is you". Yup, all I want for Christmas is for my Hero to be home on Christmas Day snuggled up right next to me. There have been some years throughout Heroes career that I could anticipate myself feeling overwhelmed as December approached my calendar.
It can be difficult to plan and create a Christmas schedule that balances tradition and relaxation as we live out our law enforcement lifestyle. The stress of juggling our family festive calendar to coincide with shift work, unexpected callouts, and mandatory overtime can take that warm Christmas spirit right out of you. It took practice and years of reminding myself that while Hero is out keeping the peace in the community, I have been called to keep the peace within our home. I realized how important it is to be an observer of our home. Being flexible and willing to adjust our festive calendar when possible so we can keep our family traditions and create room to make new ones.
The most wonderful time of the year is almost here and I am already feeling the crunch of shopping for gifts, scheduling family visits, and setting some time aside to bake some holiday goodies. If you are feeling overwhelmed, and you feel like the Grinch stole your Christmas spirit, I want to encourage you to take a long, deep breath, be an observer of your home, be present, and be you. Truly that is the best gift you can give yourself and your family.
Merry Peace-mas!
Crystal Ienni
President/Founder