During this busy month leading up to the December holidays, the pressure is on to "do it all." With just over two weeks to go before Christmas, chances are we're all feeling more than just a little stressed.
Bake those cookies! Shop for those gifts! Clean the house because company's coming! It snowed again, have to shovel! And money's tight, especially this year. What do we do?
If you happen to be lucky enough to be employed and work at least one job (and sometimes two), December seems to get the most of us. Yet, as in most things in life, some people have even more responsibilities than we do - and we have to remember that. In other words, Advent is not the time to have a "pity party."
These days we hear so much talk about baby boomers who are members of the "sandwich generation." People are living longer and thanks to the wars that kept married couples separated during years in the military, many of us were born to parents who were already middle age. So, our parents may be in their 80s or 90s, and we're in our 40s or 50s.
Moreover, some of us feel like members of the "club sandwich" generation, caring for children who are still at home, aging parents and helping out adult children who have children of their own. We feel blessed to have them all in our lives, but Lord knows, sometimes we could use some help. If that is the case, maybe now is the time to ask for assistance.
Our worries are constant, it seems. Is Mom eating right? Is Dad taking his medicine the way he should? Am I giving my children the attention they really need? Did I remember to let my spouse know how much I care?
This holiday season, if you are one of those people who is trying to do it all, be sure to take care of yourself. Find time for quiet prayer and meditation. Visit a church that has perpetual adoration. Sit for a few minutes in the evening to admire a fire in the fireplace or your holiday decorations.
If you are someone who has time on your hands, consider helping out a friend or relative who is feeling overwhelmed. Offer to bring cookies or a hot meal or two to a shut-in relative or a fellow parishioner. If you are an extraordinary minister of Communion, ask your priest if you can to do that, too.
Quiet shared prayer can make a world of difference for a person who is feeling lonely and sad this season. If you are older yourself, remember that your time alone is perfect for praying for others. Many elderly religious describe their life as "living a ministry of prayer." What a fine way to describe it!
This year, forget the fancy gifts that you may not be able to afford anyway. Your help may be just the gift that your loved one really needs. And after the holidays are over, make a New Year's resolution to continue assisting that friend who is sandwiched between generations or an older person who is lonely. God will bless you for what you've done and you'll feel so much better for helping out.