Play

It's that time of year when kids write their letters to Santa, and wish for those special toys to be under the tree Christmas morning. Play is a crucial part of a child's development. Sadly, as adults we sometimes forget to play. Maybe we would all be happier, less grumpier and have less stress-related illnesses if we remembered to play.

I have written about Pink, my pink VW New Beetle here. While out Christmas shopping, I ran across Pink's little sisters. They are cars for Barbie dolls, and what fun for a child to get one of those for Christmas. How absolutely, fantastically delightful that I have a real one and get to drive it every day.

Play is important, and fantasy is fun, for adults and kids alike. Childhood is a magical time, and what fun at Christmas to be a child. But being a grown-up can be pretty amazing, too, and sometimes reality is way better than fantasy. My wish for you, my readers, at this most wonderful time of the year, is that you begin to see some of your dreams come true.

Susan

A Christmas to Call Your Own

It is, as the song tells us, the most wonderful time of the year. Except when it's not. Christmas can be a stressful time. The financial pressures of buying gifts can be too much for people who are barely getting by. The sadness of that first Christmas after a loved one passes away. The pressure applied by family members who want you to be in three different cities on Christmas day. The stress women put on themselves to have the perfect meal, the perfectly set table, the perfect Christmas tree. Our culture sets the bar really high for merriment and jolliness, and feeling neither merry nor jolly, we decide there must be something wrong with us.

Like all things in life, Christmas is what you make it to be. It is completely open to your own unique interpretation of it. When you take away the expectation of what you think it should be, because your parents did it a certain way, or your culture celebrates it a certain way, you can begin to make Christmas truly your own. I personally don't celebrate the religious aspects of the holiday, but I adore Christmas. A Hindu woman I met is blending our American Christmas into her life and ethnicity. She started out doing it for her children, so they would have a tree and presents and Santa Claus like the other kids, but she is really finding joy in it for herself as well.

What is Christmas to me? The magical fantasy of Charles Dickens and Charles Schulz. Red and green and blue and silver. The tinsel in the carpet and the raw cookie dough on my tongue. Shopping for gifts for my grandkids: getting them what they want and not what I think would be the most fun for me to play with. Remembering all the people, near and far, who are dear to me. Believing, really believing, in peace on earth and good will to men. Maybe not throughout the world (not yet) but making it a reality in my own life. Hearing Elvis sing "Blue Christmas" and watching innumerable you tube videos of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."

There is no perfect Christmas. It doesn't exist, no matter how much money you spend or how much stress you put yourself under. You will never have the perfect Christmas. But you can have a Christmas that is perfect for you.

Susan

Breathe In, Breathe Out

I sometimes hear people say they hate to exercise. Maybe we need to get away from the word "exercise" and think of it as moving and breathing. A slow, short, easy walk is better than no exercise at all. You don't need to pay a membership fee or buy any special clothes or equipment. And starting out walking slowly is a good way to make sure you won't get injured and sidelined. There are so many ways to move and breathe that surely even those who have always hated exercise could find a way to do it. I have a friend with a bad knee. She swims several times a week; no strain on her knees in the water. Another friend who suffers from fibromyalgia goes to a stretch class, and it has helped her pain immensely. A man who lives in a cold climate drives to the local mall early in the morning and walks inside with some friends. Another man plays in a recreational basketball league. I arrive at my dance/exercise class five minutes early to stretch, something I didn't need to do ten years ago. But it helps me avoid injury. Whatever the physical limitations, you can still find a way to move and breathe.

The physical health benefits of taking care of your body are obvious. But it is a proven fact that exercise elevates the mood and can help alleviate stress. Those endorphins kick in and we feel better. We tend to take shallow breaths when we are under stress, and when we exercise we breathe deeply.

Moving and breathing. It's as simple as that.

Susan