Memories seldom come easily but are worth the effort

Jennifer Goble
Mental Health Matters

American Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway said, “When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead.”

I think of Christmas as being an entire month of fun; cooking, sending cards, decorating, entertaining, music, and buying gifts.

It is an all-in-one fun package.

Or is it?

It CAN be. (Excuse me while I step up on my soapbox.)

If we want fun combined with mental wellness, we need BALANCE. Period. Do all, be all, eat, love, and laugh, but do it with balance. Do not forget sleep, alone time, and routine.

When we slice a month out of a year, fill it to overflowing, and expect ourselves to be super human, we are not balancing expectations with reality.

It could be compared to a person scooping snow off the football field with one shovel and a wheelbarrow when the game starts in an hour. Unreasonable.

Right?

Are you expecting similar mir-acles from yourself?

I used to, but no more. I can’t credit my change with being smarter, just older. In retrospect, I see the self-imposed stress of past holidays.

Would I do it the same if I had it to do over?

Yes, I would. I loved it all, have amazing memories, and miss it terribly.

Hey, I’m not dead yet, so I need to heed Hemingway’s words and have more fun!

With my new point of view, I’ve got places to go, people to see, and things to do.

In fact, I am going to become joyously busy, having fun.

Maybe I will do a movie marathon, eat more candy, play the piano and sing along loudly, and cook my mother’s fruit cocktail cake.

Maybe I’ll walk (not drive) around town looking at Christmas lights, carol as I walk, and hand out peanut brittle.

I’m having fun thinking about the possibilities.

My advice about slowing down, doing less, sleeping more is bah humbug.

Give the season your all. Why not?

I still believe you can have a ton of fun without putting a second mortgage on your house.

Final thoughts: Be fiscally responsible, balance activities with rest and relaxation, and create daily fun.

Great memories seldom come easy.

Thank you, Mr. Hemingway, for your wisdom.

I listened.

Until the next time: Live while you live!

(Jennifer Goble, Ph.D. is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Check out her book, My Clients…My Teachers and her weekly blog at www.jennifergoble.com.)

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