A story (about me)

[rainplace]

I use to wake up in a bad mood. It was the way I was. It was the way my Mom was, and the way my Dad was. When my children had to start going to school, mornings were awful. I would yell and spend the entire morning in a bad mood. I was just one of those types of people. No way I should ever take a nap, because I was a rabid bear when I woke up.

Fast forward 30 something years and I'm remarried. I am still not a nice person when I wake up. One day my husband tells me a story about his Dad. He told me that every morning his Dad woke up in a bad mood. Then one morning his Dad sat down at the breakfast table and told the family that he realized waking up in a bad mood was a bad habit he was going to break the habit starting today. Hubby told me his Dad never woke up in a bad mood after that. Of course I let hubby know in no uncertain terms that I WAS DIFFERENT. For me it was not a bad habit, it was the way I was made. Hubby just smiled and nodded.

Well I thought on that story for a couple of months and decided hubbies father was right. It was a bad habit. I've never woke up in a bad mood since that day.

Why am I thinking of this story right now?

Because I can't stand Christmas. Starting Christmas Eve, I get in a bad mood and it lasts until day after Christmas. It's just the way it is and I am justified. It's an awful greedy consumer driven holiday. The "spirit" of Christmas is barely recognizable. Right?

Hrumph... maybe I have developed a bad habit about Christmas. And in the same way that I created morning chaos because I woke up in a bad mood, maybe I am the one responsible for the spirit of Christmas being faint in our house.

I have something to think about during this next year.

 

[WriterofWords]

Quite the insight.

 

[Beekissed]

Good post! Waking up grumpy was something some of my siblings did and it was miserable for the rest of us. I always said I'd never let my kids do this and it has worked out so far. Like you, I have always thought that a pleasant mood was largely achieved by choice....not that some days and circumstances can't knock your pleasant mood right out from under you...but, for the most part, one can choose to be pleasant.

I hope you find your peace for Christmas....it is a most blessed time of year when folks make an effort to be kind, be cheerful, to share love and laughter. Peace be unto you, Rainplace!

 

[rancher hicks]

Did you know that holiday came from the term Holy Day? As for it being a greedy commercial holiday that can only be if you let it. See many people won't go to church on Christmas or any other day. Instead for them its Santa Day. Keep Christ in Christmas and you won't feel the let down. There are many Holy Days but only one Christmas. When Christmas begins "Away in a manger" instead of "Here comes Santa Claus" you'll feel a whole lot better.

 

[JP33]

I believe its all a matter of perspective. Life is too short to dwell on the negatives. As for Christmas, I think its about giving from the heart, if someone can't accept a gift given from the heart, they have a problem.

Try not to be overwhelmed by the entire picture and pick out little things that make you happy. Its the little things that count most & they make up the big picture.

Dwell on things that make you happy, write them down if you need to as a reminder of what's good in your life. Perhaps bringing them out in the open will allow you to awaken with something to look forward to.


...JP

 

[rainplace]

Quote:
I did that today about 20 minutes before I wrote this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=278008

And you're absolutely correct. It is all about perspective. I know this, but sometimes it's hard to put into practice

I have many things to work on in the coming year. There's a line a walk and it's between bettering myself and being overly critical of myself. I remember when I use to take the time everyday to recall the things during the day that were good. Sometimes they were simple things like a child sharing candy with me, sometimes it was sparse like "at least there is a tomorrow," but usually the list was much longer than I anticipated. I think I will take to doing this again everyday. Thank you for the reminder!

 

[Mahonri]

I love the 'attitude' from this wonderful man,

December 25, 2009

Dear Friends,

First of all, I pray you’re having a very Merry Christmas. I truly love this time of year, with all the traditions and the lights and the cookies and the brightly wrapped packages and the cookies and being surrounded by friends and family and…the cookies. Regardless of what kind of year it’s been politically, economically or any other kind of “ally,” as long as we remember what this time of year is really about, then each of us has a great deal to feel “Merry” about.

I’ve always considered Christmas to be a kind of “phase two” of the big holiday trilogy - Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Once November rolls around, Thanksgiving is a time to look forward to spending with family, a wonderful “excuse” to gather together and remind ourselves that our families are the foundation upon which we build our lives. Our families are what enable us to be the very best version of ourselves, and for that we should give thanks.

Then comes Christmas with its transformative gift of redemption - a wonderful present we’ve all been given and once we open it, we finally understand how fulfilling and rich our lives can truly be.

And then comes New Year’s, picking up on the idea of Christmas, redemption’s opportunity for a fresh start. Maybe it’s just a date on a calendar, but New Year’s Day is a clean page, a fresh start and a new beginning filled with endless possibilities, and a bit of a pre-game show for the renewal of Easter. But I’m getting ahead of myself (as I have the tendency to do…maybe this year someone will give me the gift of patience). Yes, once again it’s Christmas with the divine gift of redemption! It’s the ultimate “do over,” and with the New Year ahead we get the chance to start “doing.” As for me, I couldn’t be more excited.

So take today and breathe in the smell of that Christmas tree, forget about what all those lights are doing to your electric bill, and soak in the joy of being surrounded by your loved ones and the spirit of what this day is truly about. And remember, while Christmas may only come once a year, you can carry its feeling with you each and every day.

May God bless you, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Glenn Beck

 

[cedar post]

Quote:
This is so true!! Thanks Mike

 

[rainplace]

I just talked to my husband and told him this little story. He asked, "Do you think it's true, or is it wishful thinking?"
I replied, "Well of course it's wishful thinking, but I think it's also a bad habit."
He thought for a while.
The silence made me start talking... of course.
And then he said, "I think it's a bad habit for both of us. Next year remember we had this conversation and we'll see if we can do it differently."

I love him.

 

[seminolewind]

Thanks for sharing the story. I feel the same way you do. Commercialized, greedy, holiday, etc. The first thing that put me in a better mood was watching "Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase. I say, thank God I don't have those relatives. BUT, the movie reminds me of tradition.

I see that you have 3 awesome sons. I have 1 awesome daughter and 3 awesome grand kids. Instead of me thinking about my perspective on this holiday, I will ONLY think of watching the grandkids faces when they open their gifts.

Their surprised faces was well worth putting up with all that tradition!