Join Coach DJ Mitsch and the River’s Kitty Kinnin for coaching around the water cooler!
Latest Water Cooler Question . . .
Q: What can I do to make this season of light more meaningful this year?
A: “We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.”
Cesare Pavese (Italian Poet and Critic)
The holidays are a perfect time to practice rituals, those lasting traditions you hold dear, or perhaps it’s time to think up some new ideas to expand your experience beyond those you have tried in years past. Making this holiday a time of reflection and play could help create magical memories for all those you hold dear.
Here are two lists to prompt your creativity.
The first is self care and the second is care about others:
Self Care Rituals:
- Bubble Baths can be taken wherever there is a tub and some hot water… so take your favorite soak when traveling to see your extended family, or keep one handy in your home for yourself and guests. Create a spa atmosphere somewhere in your home as a get away from the hustle and bustle. (Men and Women both like this treat!)
- Take a walk with the elders or the children… one at a time… early or after a big meal. Be curious in conversation. Ask questions about what they’ve most enjoyed about holidays over the years, or what they are most excited about this year.
- Dust off the old games…bring out a 1000 piece puzzle. Leave these out on tables after meals, ready to be recalled. Pop some popcorn and place nearby.
- Reindeer Games – flashlight tag, kick the can, capture the flag? Leave some of these reminders near a door.
- Don fuzzy socks and sit in circle with your little ones. Each person rubs a pair of feet before bedtime.
- Read Dr. Seuss, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
- Go the movies in your PJs and carry your favorite blanket. Let the kids come too!
- Find a place of worship or a favorite place to sit outdoors and take time “alone” to simply breathe and meditate – mentally asking a question, waiting for your inner wisdom to surface an answer.
- Play in the snow – challenges your neighbors to a snow person building contest.
- Plan a pot luck dinner so everyone brings something, instead of one person feeling responsible for the entire meal.
- Rent an old favorite movie.
- Sit outdoors under blankets and gaze at the night sky – no talking
- Let the kids make cookies and breads…or make cookies and breads and take the kids in a wagon to distribute to your friend and neighbors.
- Write letters of gratitude and stuff in a stocking with handmade treats or eats
- Request the entire family join you as you serve a meal at the local shelter –give thanks and share a smile
Care about others:
We can all take one small action to be of service and that may be a highlight of our holiday celebrations.
Business and Personal Donations:
- Search your favorite charities and gather ideas about specific needs
- Adopt a family in need from a local shelter and provide gifts and food for the holidays… (anonymously)
- Pick up an card from an angel tree and leave behind a surprise for someone less fortunate … book stores are great for this
- Search for online donations sites. Donate in the name of a client or company. Here are some of my favorites:
- www.foodbanknc.org – donate to specific areas important to you (there are families in the RDU area who have nothing to eat today)
- www.tisbest.com this site allows you to choose from a lot of local and national charities and donate as little, or as much, as you can afford to several
- www.kiva.com this site connects you with micro-lending in primarily 3rd world countries to help supply trade, not aid to families in need
- www.spcawake.org adopt your holiday gift, go walk a pet and relieve those who work year round as volunteers
- www.shepherds-table.org discover more about the Raleigh soup kitchen to volunteer
- www.VolunteerMatch.org helps people in this area discover a fit for their interests over the holidays
- www.nothingbutnets.com a UN based program to supply treated mosquito nets to third world countries where malaria is a primary killer… $10 per net could save a family
- www.habitat.org will help you find a way to give a donation to your current hometown or the place you grew up
I will be back in a week with an idea about how to capture a great intention through a journal exercise you can do on New Year's Day!
Write to us… dj@pyramidresource.com and kitty@theriver.com and let us know what you are doing. We would enjoy featuring your story on the River.
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