Tonight, I finally boxed up presents that I am mailing to a few friends and family. This is something I've been meaning to do, but just ... haven't gotten done until now. I told myself that I would wrap and box last weekend, and I got some of it done: presents wrapped and boxes picked, even addresses written on index cards. But I didn't finish the boxing.
Tonight I made myself do it, so I can mail them when I'm out for an appointment tomorrow. And you know, it didn't even take half an hour.
But here's the thing: I don't feel bad that I didn't get it done earlier, so that they might arrive before Christmas. It would be easy to say, I had half an hour on Sunday, I could have, should have pushed through and done it!
But you know what? On Sunday I couldn't. Not for any reason. I just couldn't. And that's okay. None of the recipients will mind "extending the celebration season" until after Christmas Day. I don't mind when I get presents, and they won't mind when they do.
I don't feel bad about it. I feel as though I should feel bad. But I don't. Be easy on yourself when you can, okay?
I love the idea of extending Christmas and having some things to open a few days after! Our only issue would be that we are only all together for a few days so that if you wanted to send my family all something, if it got there later, it may just be my Mom opening all of the gifts! But that is fine with me too really!
ReplyDeleteWe actually do our extended family party the week after New Years so we like to have a two week holiday!! I like that and it gives us something to look forward to after the holidays are "over!"
Good for you, you shouldn't feel bad! I'm glad you don't. Often I will get Christmas cards after Christmas, and it feels like a nice little burst of light after the holiday. So it just extends I think to packages!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good reframe. It's nice to receive cards/packages even AFTER Christmas. Why am I trying to rush around like a crazy person to get it done?
ReplyDeleteYes! Lately, I have been trying to make decisions based on dread. Do I dread doing this now? I felt the same way about wrapping some gifts. I put it off a few days...and it still got done and sent out in a reasonable time. The day I did it...I didn't dread it! It's important to cut ourselves some slack about things that, quite frankly, don't matter. We tend to triage things are ALL URGENT AND IMPORTANT. When, in reality, they're not. Like your gift situation.
ReplyDeleteA whole sheet of gold stars <3
I like that you're honouring your feelings. I don't know anyone who says, "Forget it. This gift arrived late, so I don't want it." What does it say when we dread and get crabby about our holiday tasks? It says we have too much to do and we need to simplify!
ReplyDeleteLate presents are often the best presents: when you think the anticipation and unwrapping are all over and then you get to start in again because someone was thinking of you and wanted to make sure you knew it.
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you. I just haven't been able to get things wrapped, or do much productive at all, and it does make me feel guilty, but then I remind myself that hey, sometimes surviving is the best we can do, and that's okay.
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