{"id":6259,"date":"2014-12-22T06:56:13","date_gmt":"2014-12-22T12:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=6259"},"modified":"2014-12-22T07:24:52","modified_gmt":"2014-12-22T13:24:52","slug":"12-daily-vows-to-grasp-what-matters-this-holiday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2014\/12\/22\/12-daily-vows-to-grasp-what-matters-this-holiday\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Daily Vows to Grasp What Matters This Holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"12<\/a>My holiday goal has changed over the years. My former goal for December 25th<\/sup> involved boxes\u2014checking off boxes, wrapping up boxes, and stuffing emotions in a box until they came out in some negative form or another. My former holiday goal focused on how things looked<\/em> rather than on how they felt. From the outside, it looked like picture-perfect happiness but underneath was exhaustion \u2026 comparison \u2026 irritation \u2026 stress \u2026 and frustration. I would collapse after Christmas not really having one significant memory to cherish because I\u2019d been too busy, too annoyed, too distracted, and too overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

But at the close of 2010, I received a powerful wake-up call that changed my holiday goal indefinitely.<\/p>\n

In the days following our family\u2019s Christmas, my mom had a transient ischemic attack<\/a> (or mini-stroke) and was unable to remember the holiday we\u2019d just shared together. It had been a very special holiday because it was my first Hands Free holiday. I\u2019d let go of distraction and perfection in ways I didn\u2019t think I ever could. One of my fondest memories of that Christmas was sitting at the kitchen table with my family painting glasses to use at our Christmas Eve dinner. It was ten o\u2019clock a.m. and we were still in our pajamas. We\u2019d eaten cookies for breakfast. My older\u00a0daughter wore evidence of this delightful indulgence on her face but I didn\u2019t dare wipe it off. The way she smiled to herself as she painted was a moment I refused to obliterate with a paper napkin. For the first time in a long time I saw joy, and it had paint-smudged fingers and lips covered in chocolate.<\/p>\n

There was much to be done in the way of cooking and gift preparation that morning, but it could wait. For the first time in a long time, it could wait. Instead I sat there painting next to my children who were free to paint their glasses any way they wanted. I\u2019d made it clear to my inner drill sergeant that she was not welcome here. My mom sat with us too. Her vein-lined hand was steady as she painted a flower on her glass. She talked of the small Christmas candies she got as a girl. There was holiday music playing. I felt peaceful, not frenzied. I felt beautiful, not too soft or unkempt. I felt present, not scattered in one hundred million different directions.
\n\"12<\/a>There\u2019d been more laughter, more connections, and more memories made that Christmas than ever before. And my mom couldn\u2019t remember them, but I could. Thank God, I could. Right then and there I knew that the holidays must be Hands Free from then on. I vowed to stop worrying so much about the minor details and think about the big picture. What will my loved ones remember about today? <\/em>That became my daily question over our holiday breaks. I knew it would not be the roasted potatoes being seasoned with fresh rosemary or the twinkle lights that decorated the staircase. It would be the way I got down and peered into the new dollhouse and said, \u201cCan I play too?\u201d It would be the walk I took with my mom and sister, going slowly because my mom needed a gentle pace. It would be how I asked my dad to tell me again about his darkest period of depression and how he saw the light again. It would be how I watched my husband\u2019s favorite football team because there was an open spot next him, and it was made for me.<\/p>\n

I knew I didn\u2019t want to be so busy flittering from point A to point Z that I missed the opportunity to hear the stories, take the walks, or get down on my knees and play. I wanted to decorate glasses in my pajamas instead of dusting crystal in my finest attire. What will my loved ones remember today?<\/em> I hoped it would be my love, my presence, my patience, and my laugh. I wanted more than anything for them to remember my laugh.
\n\"12<\/a>I now have four Hands Free holidays under my belt and although I am still a work-in-progress, I think I\u2019ve finally nailed down my goal for the holidays. It is this: To gather together with our messy, imperfect hearts and create memories that outlast us all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: goals are not reached without intention, mindfulness, and action steps. So I have written some daily vows that I believe will help me get as close as I can to a meaningful and memorable holiday goal. Feel free to use one or more of these daily intentions to create more room in your holiday for love, laughter, connection, and memory making.<\/p>\n

12 Daily Vows to Grasp What Matters This Holiday<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today I will look for the blessings among the chaos, the challenge, and the clutter. If I don\u2019t see them right away, I will keep looking.<\/p>\n

Today I will say, \u201cTake your time,\u201d and \u201cHow would you do it<\/a>?\u201d even if it feels funny and awkward coming from my lips. I will seek to find my loved ones\u2019 Soul-Building Words and speak them often.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a>Today I will view holiday experiences through the eyes of my child so my eyes can see the puffiness of the marshmallows, not the spilled cocoa \u2026 so my eyes can see the handmade ornaments, not the crooked tree \u2026 so my eyes can see the way her face lights up at the sight of the gift, not the wrapping paper covering the floor.<\/p>\n

Today I will be a Lingerer, a Take Your Timer, and a Last to Let Go Embracer even if I have to fake it<\/a>. Love will keep me coming back until I can be the real deal.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

Today I will take off the manager nameplate<\/a> and dismiss the inner bully<\/a> so my home can be a loving environment where we are all learning from our mistakes and embracing our imperfections.<\/p>\n

Today I will resist the pressure to fill the sacred spaces of my day with unnecessary stuff.<\/p>\n

Today I will say no to the outside world so I can say yes to the people who are my world.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

Today I will savor every bite of my family\u2019s favorite recipes instead of obsessing over table decor, fat grams, or how soon the mess can be cleaned up.<\/p>\n

Today I will absorb the memories of my relatives shared across the dinner table instead of consuming myself with status updates of those I barely know on a screen.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0034\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today I will acknowledge that a beautifully imperfect memory is at my fingertips if I pause long enough to let it unfold.<\/p>\n

Today I will remember my loved ones are constantly growing and changing and things may be different next year. In fact, things may be different tomorrow. So today I shall savor my loved ones as they are right now.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

Today I will practice my new holiday goal: To gather together with our messy, imperfect hearts and create memories that outlast us all.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know that every second of this holiday will not be grasping what matters. I know. But there will be moments when joy comes to the table. It might be wearing pajamas or a cookie crumb smile, but I will recognize it immediately. With open hands, open eyes, and an open heart, I\u2019ve learned joy doesn\u2019t come in a box.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

********************************<\/p>\n

My friends, thank you for making 2014 such an incredibly encouraging year for me as a writer. By reading and sharing my posts here and on The Hands Free Revolution page<\/a> and by purchasing my book<\/a> and the items in the Hands Free Shop<\/a>, you have enabled me to make writing my life\u2019s work. Your incredible support has lead to the publication of a second book, HANDS FREE LIFE<\/a>, releasing on September 8, 2015. I am thrilled and blessed to have begun working with my publisher on a third book. Thanks to all who expressed their interest in me writing a Hands Free daily inspiration book. I read and cherish every comment you write and every email message you send. Thank you for being a continuous blessing on this life-changing Hands Free journey. I could not do this without you. My publisher is currently having an ebook sale and HANDS FREE MAMA is on sale for $2.99 until January 4th, 2015. Click here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is now time to power off. My screen is going dark until January. I leave you with <\/em><\/strong>my two all-time favorite blog posts to grasp what really matters during the holidays and beyond.<\/em><\/strong> See you in 2015!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Twelve Days of Fatherhood <\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My holiday goal has changed over the years. My former goal for December 25th involved boxes\u2014checking off boxes, wrapping up boxes, and stuffing emotions in a box until they came out in some negative form or another. My former holiday goal focused on how things looked rather than on how they felt. From the outside, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[229],"tags":[1178,1358,1175,933,249,490,1177,1334,925],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-1CX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}