Ugh! When Stress is Created by the Clock (and by Those Who Fail to Watch It)

Don't be disturbed by the title. It's what came to me this morning as I tried to get things done and others around me didn't quite see the need to do their part.

You know what I mean. You are trying to get ready for the day, the other person (whom you're dropping off at school) doesn't care as much as you do, so everyone is late.

Or...you're trying to make it to church on time the other person (maybe even more than one person) doesn't think it's a big deal to walk in while the opening song is being sung.

You want to get out the door, to anything, and the other someone is always holding you back. If it was just you, well, you'd be on time no matter what it was.

You wouldn't blame the ice
the snow
that phone call

Photo by: Ian Crowfeather, courtesy of Flickr

not being able to find your shoes

You would get there.

Yes, I am a fairly organized person. Though I'm not a perfect soul, I do schedule time for things like going to school and to church. I do like it when I know when I'm going to write and when I'm going to work at my business. I like to know when I'm babysitting my grandchildren and what I'm going to have for dinner, though the last scenario doesn't always work out. It's just easier to let that one slide.

But I hope you get the idea. Stress is often created when those around you see life differently, and this can wreck havoc with a person like me.

So, I guess I am venting today. I'm writing, yes, because I try to write on my blog at least five mornings a week, though I'm sometimes interrupted by other duties (that admittedly have been forgotten by someone else). And I'd like to think that I'm learning something by all of this.

About patience, surely.

About differences in living life, most definitely. About priorities?

Why is it that something that makes you scream can make another person just look at you and blink their eyes?

Photo by: Razmataz', courtesy of Flickr

What about you? What ruffles your feathers? Just get it out.

STRESSED?

I love the word stressed.

Stressed?



Photo by: Dawn Huczek, courtesy of Flickr

Well, yeah. Spell it backwards and it says desserts.

About this time in the season I begin to get a little stressed and I wonder if all the Christmas preparation and shopping is worth it. Not only do I have my regular work to do, I have the frosting on the cake called shopping, wrapping and balancing the budget.

Still, the little stress I have is better than the alternative.

My husband and I learned years ago that it didn't do us much good to use the charge cards to get folks what they wanted for Christmas, because come January 1, we were regretting it because we were trying to pay the credit cards back with interest! So early on we decided if we didn't have the cash we wouldn't buy it. What that means it that our Christmases are tidy ventures, low on stress and high on ingenuity.

We might not get the latest fad, the newest car or the biggest diamond, but we have plenty of love to share without the guilt.

This year we have a $100 budget for each other--total. And it seems like a lot. Most years the sum has been $50 or less. We LOVE our grandchildren and could buy them everything including the kitchen sink without batting an eyelid, but this year the total is $25 each.

Is it hard to shop on so little?

At times, but the rewards far surpass the thinking we have to do to stay within our Christmas budget.

Feeling stressed? Get some well needed dessert by taking a good look at your budget. Take a look at the time you're spending shopping for the perfect gift. See where you can cut to take the load off.

The Christmas season will be that much sweeter, I promise.