Family at Advent

During this week of Advent my theme has been "family love and joy". Most of the joy of the season is spontaneous and un-planable, but I do these three things to create the conditions:

• Take care of myself so I can be calm and present for the spontaneous joy when it arises.
• Take the time to consider what others- friends and family- will want most this season. In other words, I become less self-focused and more generous in all ways. 
• Be respectful, patient, and kind (no matter how stressed  I feel).

These are obviously year-round aspirations, but I need a strict reminder now, because, somehow, everything seems so important: I feel I must get this right.

Agenda this week:
1. Daily meditation
2. Card-writing practice
3. Make simple gifts

1. Daily meditation:
Meditation can be anything you want it to be. I don't need anything very structured- I just need to take time to center myself. I take a few minutes of quiet time to sip my coffee, write in my journal, and think about what is planned today and how I intend to behave.

2. Card-writing practice:

People enjoy cards because they are pretty and personal. I especially enjoy getting cards with a brief hand-written note.

I make my own cards nearly every year; this year with a photo of an original painting. 

Each day this week, after meditation, I plan to address a card or two and send them on their way with love.

3. Make simple gifts:

Gifts are one way to express love for family and friends. Remember that gifts come in many forms. Emerson said, “The only gift is a portion of thyself.”



Every gift is loaded with meaning, and so giving requires mindfulness. Finding the "perfect gift" requires that I take the time to get into the other person's shoes and think about what would be most meaningful and appreciated by this particular person at this particular time. Of coarse, the "perfect gift" is a mostly unattainable goal, but on the other hand, "It's the thought that counts" is a saying that only works if I have given it some actual thought.