Peace and joy | Living with Gleigh

I woke up feeling anxious today. I wasn’t sure if it was over something I was dreaming about, the fact I hadn’t written a column yet, or if it was just reality setting in.

By Gretchen Leigh • December 16, 2015 5:18 pm

I woke up feeling anxious today. I wasn’t sure if it was over something I was dreaming about, the fact I hadn’t written a column yet, or if it was just reality setting in.

So I got the laundry started, put turkey soup on for my oldest who caught a cold, and went for a good walk and talk with my neighborhood friend. I felt exponentially better after that.

When reading my columns and blogs from the past, I realized how stressed I usually am this time of year. It feels silly because it should be a season of joy and peace and here I am wallowing in self-pity over all I have to do to make it joyful and peaceful for those around me.

However, this year I’ve been very proud of myself up until now, because things don’t feel so overwhelming. Even last week didn’t throw me into a tailspin. We spent the week playing tour guide to our Japanese friend who came for a visit from her University exchange program in California.

Part of the reason I’m less stressed is because I’ve dialed down a lot of my Christmas expectations. I’m to a point in my life where I understand I don’t have to “do it all” and realize with all the drama and tragedy going on around me how blessed I really am. Although, my change in attitude could be because of my blatant exploitation of having an extra set of hands and faces to help with my Christmas to-do list. Our Japanese friend wanted to participate in Christmas traditions and my new middle adopted daughter likes to decorate.

There have been a lot of tough points of reality in my life lately. None of them are directly connected to me, but are challenges to the people I know and love: illness in my extended family, acquaintances at church with cancer, parents’ aging issues, and a friend whose grown son is missing. Even the recent events of the world are weighing on my mind. I can’t do much about any of it but pray and lend a hand where appropriate.

Maybe that’s what makes me anxious; I can’t fix or change any of it. All I can do is go forward one day at a time, taking care of the mundane things that keep my life and those of my immediate family on track.

The laundry still needs to be done, dinner still has to be planned and cooked, and groceries still need to be bought. These things feel shallow and senseless sometimes, but are so valued by the people I live with and it’s really the only way to move life forward, whether it turns out good or bad in the end. When I think of problems other people are dealing with right now, I have nothing to complain about. Well, the popcorn husk I have stuck in my tooth is annoying, but otherwise, I’m good.

It’s moods like these when we just have to sit back and count our blessings, pray for those around us who are suffering, bring joy to those whose lives we personally touch, and continue to live our lives to the fullest.

Keeping family traditions alive is one of the ways I deal with the weight of reality. One of those is my neighbor’s annual Christmas concert coming up this Saturday, Dec. 19. Their music is so inspiring; it always brings joy and hope into my heart.