An evergreen Christmas tree is decorated with lights and ornaments. Below the tree are many gifts.

One Question to Ask Myself Before Making Holiday Decisions

Listen to the podcast

 

In our home, this is the time of year when the annual conversations commence around my wanting an artificial Christmas tree, a gas fireplace, and an alternative holiday gift exchange between my husband and I. G-Man brought it to my attention that I was requesting a fake tree, a fake fireplace, and fake gift giving. Hmmmm….when you put it that way… Needless to say, that’s a whole lot of fake for someone who tends to prefer the real thing.

What I realized is that while the tree, the fire, and the exchange are fake, my need for control is so very real. As our children grow and I have to let go of more and more around the choices they make for themselves, it feels really good to find things in my life that I can have more control over. And because I’ve trained myself to control the stuff rather than the people, it makes complete sense that the more I have to let go of managing the children, the more I seek control in other areas of my life.

But this is what’s real about my fake Christmas. I know that it’s real growth for me to express my opinion about customs and traditions when my desires go against social or family norms. However, I also really know that these things I’m requesting affect more than just me, which means I have to take into consideration other people’s wishes and opinions. Just a friendly reminder to myself to pause and ask myself, 

Is this what’s best for just me or is this what’s best for everyone?

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Welcome to my blog turned podcast! Here you can listen or read about what’s on my mind as I try my best to recover from screaming at my kids and nagging the bejesus out my husband.

    Join TeamConfessions, a.k.a. "TeamC"—the posts are super short—you’ve got this. 

    Looking for a specific topic?

    MOST POPULAR POSTS

    From the Archives

    Share Everywhere:

    Ready to join me?

    I would love for you to join me as I work to undo these old patterns and evolve to create a more serene and accepting existence. (And you should know that I still want to ear flick the little knuckleheads {this includes my husband} when they don’t rinse a dish before putting it in the dishwasher — always a work in progress.)
    mdm light green icon logo
    Confessions of a recovering
    micromanaging - perfectionist - martyr

    Join TeamConfessions