Christmas is only a few days away and with that comes all the craziness that is preparing for Christmas. There is last minute shopping, baking, food prep, wrapping... so much to get done in so little time. This year I was doing more last minute running around than I usually do and was not happy about it but we pushed through and can enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. With all the running around and things being crossed off our to-do lists I think it is extremely important to remember why we do all of this in the first place. All of the gifts we give away and kind words we give each other in honor of the holiday season are truly because we appreciate someone and are showing our gratitude.

Giving and getting gifts is fun no matter who you are. I mean who doesn't like getting a gift? I think the true meaning behind them is extremely important though. This past Friday was my last day of work before the holiday as I am sure it was for most people. I was so surprised to receive a personal gift from one of my bosses' wives, a co-worker, and an extremely generous Christmas bonus from my bosses as well. The gifts themselves I of course loved and appreciated so much, but each one came with a card or note of appreciation. Their words touched me so much. It truly is such a nice feeling when someone appreciates you but also goes out of their way to make sure you know it. Sometimes this is through material things but it doesn't always have to be. Another great example would be when my bosses go out of their way to thank me for getting something done at work. In the simplest way of putting it, they really don't need to do that since they are paying me to get this work done, but getting thanked and told you are doing a great job means so much! I am guessing for most people it is pretty motivating as well.

While you are wrapping up your gifts, running out for some last minute shopping, or filling out your cards take a few moments to really think about what the people in your life mean to you. A lot of appreciation can go without saying, but isn't it nice to say it sometimes anyways? You never know when someone might be having a bad day and your kind words can turn that around. Never take people for granted as well. I would guess that when someone cuts you out of their life it is probably because you took them for granted or did not do your very best to appreciate them and be as much of a friend as they are. Gifts and actions can get that message across for sure but sometimes it is our words that hold the most power. The holidays are a great time of year to do just that.

I wanted to end this blog by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Take this time to enjoy yourself and though you should not go crazy, try not to be too hard on yourself either! It is so hard to believe that another year is coming to an end. I will do my usual look back on the year post next week and talk about moving forward as well. Thank you as always for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week!