A gift...

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I sure did! We had four days away from our normal routine. Four days of family, friends and home cooked feasting! I enjoy preparing our Thanksgiving meal ~ and even more since I've learned to cook with real, whole foods. My homemade cranberry sauce is my new favorite thing. The gluten free, honey sweetened crumble I've mastered is a close second! ...but I digress.

It's that most wonderful time of the year. That time when we add events and people and projects and decorating and charitable service and on and on and on. It's that time of the year when our lists have lists. And when saying no seems, somehow, to render us un-festive. And no one wants to be that person. I sure don't.

The question we've got to ask ourselves as we head into December, is ... at what cost? All the preparations and plans .... will I allow all this goodness to cost me my health? To render me exhausted? Or will I continue to get my eight hours each night? Will I, amidst the madness, take time for myself so I can exercise and find moments and places of peace? What will I choose?

I know, for me, that the hours I spent outside this past weekend were precious to me. The time to walk and climb and tune into nothing but the rustling leaves and chirping birds fed my spirit just as fully as the Thanksgiving feast fed my belly. And four straight days with no alarm clock....well that was just a small slice of heaven!!

So I'm going to try and remember this basic. To sleep. To rest. As I head into this season of celebration and gift giving, I'm going to remember that I have the choice. I have the power to give myself a very precious gift...that gift of good health and self-care.

Joining Kim and Kat