My late husband taught me to slow down and enjoy life.  It is something I am truly grateful for because it allows me to appreciate all the small things that bring joy to one’s life.  Before I met my husband I didn’t take the time to enjoy the journey.  I simply was driven to successfully complete the task at hand.

Completing the task gave me a sense of accomplishment, but I missed all that life offered around me.  I never knew or worried about what I was missing.  I had a goal and normally figured out the most efficient way to achieve excellent results. 

At the time, I was single and had the ability to spend endless hours working to achieve my goals.  I found that I could turn almost anything I do into something I enjoy.  For me, it is unproductive to think negatively about work.  Instead, I worked to make it interesting or fun.  I relied on my faith and was open to new opportunities.    

It is important to be open to new ways of enjoying life.  I realized what I was missing on my journey was the journey itself.  I achieved a successful career but missed all that was going on around me in the process. 

During the holidays I like to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the season.  I don’t drive near the mall if I don’t have time to sit in traffic.  I don’t worry about perfection, whether my house is clean enough or the food is ready on time.  I plan for plenty of food and am thrilled if it is all consumed by my guests.  Being prepared is important to me, but I don’t stress out about things that go differently than planned.

I have hosted many parties.  Rarely is there a time when I don’t laugh at myself for doing something rather stupid.  I once realized as I was cleaning up from a party that every bottle of wine was still unopened.  Placing a wine opener near the bottles may have proven to be helpful to my guests.  On a different evening, also during clean up, I went to clean the coffee maker and realized that I never plugged it in to make coffee for my caffeine-loving guests.  I admit that I laughed at the thought of people’s facial expressions as they poured cold water into their coffee cups.  What a disappointing end to a delicious meal!

The best part is that no one ever comments about any of my mishaps.  We laugh when I joke about my mistakes, but my guests faithfully return for the next big adventure.

People who really matter in your life won’t care about the little things.  They will care that you slow down and enjoy the journey together.  Give yourself permission to have fun this holiday season.

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