It’s that time of year and lots of feelings and emotions are coming up for many of us. Some of us just love the Holidays; and then, I hear from lots of others who just as soon pull the covers up and sleep through them.

If you are the latter, why?  Is it because of memories of the past that haunt you? Is it because of the heavy expectations that we can feel from the media and others? I remember when I was a child, I hated it when everyone compared what they got for Christmas. I always felt just a little embarrassed. My gifts were great for me, but they didn’t measure up to what everyone else was experiencing. The Holidays can be built on expectations it seems…if we let them.

Today, I love the Holidays. The reason is because I’ve allowed them to change for me through the years. Even the traditions I practice continue to change. I just don’t expect things to be the same every year. The memories are still there, but I am always making new memories. Memories can enhance my new experiences, as I make new memories.

One of my favorite things about the Holidays when I was a child was when my Aunt Lucile came to be with us. She slept in my room. I had to go to bed first because I was so little. However, I would wait for her to come up, and then we would talk into the night. After Aunt Lucile passed, I remember one Christmas when I was making cookies. A warmth of love came over me. I knew it was her. I enjoyed the memory of her in a new experience – a new Holiday.

The Holidays are always changing for me. I think this is a good thing. Being able to make new memories every year allows me to experience life in the present. I can still enjoy the memories I want to keep, but I am under no obligation to stay true to traditions that no longer serve me. Maybe I do not want to make cookies this year. Perhaps, I’d like to go out to eat in a restaurant. Perhaps, I just want to sleep in late with my honey. Perhaps, I just want to watch a good Holiday movie.

I believe that if we take the expectations off ourselves during the Holiday season and just live life right where we are, there would be less depression and blues. We might feel free to give a little more of ourselves, which is really what it is all about.

It’s our Holiday and how do we want to spend it? The Divine Self knows the way and can attract the perfect experience when we stay true to ourselves. I invite us all to really look at what we do during the Season and question it? Is it from obligation? Is it from Love? Are we authentic in the moment? Are we robots repeating the past?Are we stuck in memories that no longer serve us?

What I know is that we are spontaneous beings and we are always at choice. We can choose the new, keep the old, or do whatever we want. We can make this Holiday Season the newest and best ever right where we are. It’s our Holiday and we can do what we want to and feel good about it…