My reflection question this week: What do you notice when you step back from the task at hand and notice the positive of what is or could be?Here, is what I noticed this week – When I step back and pause, I am living completely in the present moment – the now. I can’t be projecting into the future or dwelling on the past.Today, Christians celebrate Christmas. Some who aren’t Christian, celebrate this holiday in a cultural, not religious sense, as well.

My daughter, who is a freshwoman at college, came home for the holiday. It is amazing how much one can change in four short months when they are thrown into a different environment. And yet there is something about keeping our traditions of decorating the tree, hanging Christmas cards around the house, and opening one present on Christmas Eve, that is comforting and grounding.

There is something that feels magical about this day no matter what you celebrate. My Jewish friends go out for Chinese food, and my Christian friends visit friends and relatives. For everyone else, (other than those in hospitality or healthcare) it is typically a day off from work. Somehow the pressures of daily living are paused. Yet for many it can also be a lonely or upsetting day. There is so much pressure to have the perfect, Norman Rockwell holiday – which few people actually have.

I choose to have my holiday be real versus obligatory, and one that puts on appearances rather than living in my truth and the here and now. I am estranged from some family members for reasons that are healthy for me at this time. Instead of focusing on what is not there, I choose to focus on the wonderful connections I do have and the peace of the day. Although not always easy, this is a practice and a choice. It is what serves me best – to release the past, look forward, and be present to what is unfolding right before me.

May the magic of the present moment be with you today and everyday. It just requires pausing and noticing – underpracticed muscles.