Feeling the Stress of the Season

Once again I am finding that the holiday season tends to bring out the worst in some people. Last weekend our waitress at lunch was obviously pissed because we wanted to sit at a table near natural light instead of in the back of the restaurant. After our weekly hour of playing music together, my friend Deborah complained that she was the only one in her household who was interested in making Christmas happen, so any preparation was going to fall on her shoulders. Yesterday as someone in my yoga class was approaching the yoga studio on her bicycle, I heard her yell "ASSHOLE" at a driver who almost ran her over. During class we listened to people sitting on their horns in the streets outside.

I am thinking to myself, isn't this supposed to be a time of brotherly love? Instead it's more like ‘Tis the season to be hateful!

My yoga teacher, who is infinitely wise, commented that instead of being so focused on THE DAY, we should try to enjoy the process of getting there. As I thought about this more, I realized that it's not just Christmas, but many big events in our lives that we agonize over instead of seeking out enjoyment along the way. This brought to mind my wedding, our children's bar/bat mitzvahs, special birthday celebrations. We tried to put this thought in practice during our class, diminishing the image of the final perfect pose and simply enjoying the many stretches in our attempt to get there.

Maybe if we just skipped a year of Christmas, people would rediscover the missing joys of the season and the seeds of brotherly love could germinate. Meanwhile, I'm on high alert for holiday crazies, because they indeed abound out there.