A Million Little Moments
by Linnea Crum - December 6, 2019
The holiday season is upon us. If you’re anything like me, these are the months you eagerly anticipate year-round…the Christmas music and parties, gift-exchanges and good food, cozy fires and Christmas trees. But if we’re not careful, this season can also usher in busier schedules, excessive spending, and heightened stress. For many of us, no matter how much anticipation we have heading into the holidays, we can often find ourselves disillusioned, over committed, and even resentful due to our idealized and somewhat-unrealistic expectations.
But I’d like this year to be different.
I have two toddlers at home right now and my husband and I both work full-time. It’s easy to fall into routine and forget to slow down. Errands can easily triumph over silly adventures. I’m quicker to grab my tv remote, rather than engage in a good book. And social media can often sweep up my few moments for silence in a given day. It’s easy for the days with young kids to blur past. Each time I go into my daughter’s room to check on her at night, her sleeping little angel face makes me forget the pee in my carpet, the crusted Play-do stuck to my floor and the finger prints smeared on every window of my house and I think for that moment “it’s all worth it.” Then we wake up and do it all over again.
So this year, my goal for December is to just BE PRESENT… To slow down, to thoughtfully review my calendar and say no to activities that cause unnecessary stress, so I have space for the things that actually bring me joy. I decided to stop doing Christmas cards a few years back because it caused me too much stress (always trying to find the right photo), too much money (stamps are ridiculous) and too much time (never wanted to leave someone off the list). So, I said no – it wasn’t bringing me joy. Instead, I put that money I would have spent on cards, stamps and photos and throw an annual kid-free Christmas party at my house…and it’s something I LOVE doing.
Oftentimes our culture tends to market that “goal-setting” and “fresh beginnings” all start in January, but every day is a new opportunity to lean in, to be more engaged and slow down long enough to see the good that surrounds you. I invite you to join me in practicing presence this December.
Because life is made up of a million little moments and if we’re running too fast, we just might miss the sweetest ones.
Linnea Crum is a passionate party host, wine enthusiast, and sunshine-chaser. Although her days are most often spent in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two toddlers, you will also find her adding warmth to her life by making homemade candles or frequently planning trips to California. On the daily, she gets paid to create content and marketing program strategies for tech companies, and you might even occasionally find her planning weddings on the weekend. She’s all about bringing people together and is actively working to create intentional support for women in the throes of motherhood.