GET OUT! Is it Christmas time already?
GET OUT! Is it Christmas time already? It’s a wonderful time of the year but it’s very stressful for a lot of people. The traveling. The shopping. The scheduling. What to get for who. It is a very busy time for most people. Busy busy busy but it’s important to stop and take stock for a moment.
Dare I say be mindful? When people are “busy” they are getting stuff done but they are usually not thinking much. Not thinking about their lifestyle. Not thinking about what’s really important during this Holiday season. I love the line from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is confronted by the ghost of his long dead partner Jacob Marley … Scrooge complimented him on his business acumen when alive and the ghost remonstrates, “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” His trade was not his business! Let me help. Let me give you a couple of ideas for the holidays. First…the gift of massage…Get someone you love a gift certificate to massage therapy. 
It’s the antidote to busyness. There are a few people out there who don’t like massage and we are rounding them up for analysis but they can always regift the certificate. The nice thing about the gift certificate is that the person you give it to can arrang
e when they want the massage…It doesn’t add to the scheduling stress of the holiday. Also, consider the gift of a yoga class…nothing is more relaxing and revitalizing as a yoga class…you might not have thought of this as a gift idea but it’s a good one…for an interesting variation that even my wife liked…try Aerial Yoga! Even your friends that have everything or have tried everything will have been unlikely to have tried this yet. Lest I leave the wrong impression…my wife is super easy to please…she just doesn’t find regular yoga strenuous enough…not enough sweating for her hour of exercise…She was, however, very impressed by the aerial yoga.
Second…the gift of your company. Take your aunt out to one of the seasonal events…Maybe you have done Lights on the Lake one time too many…still plenty of other venues for you. Take them outdoor skating downtown. Not very expensive but it will be a memorable experience for everyone. Take them for a horse driven carriage or sleigh ride at Highland Forest…being on the sleigh covered with a blanket as you glide along the pathway with the twinkling of the stars competing with the jingling of the bells on the horses…memory magic! 
Let me recommend the Desantis Xmas at the Palace show. Hearing seasonal music done by live local talent in this great venue never gets old to me. Often, they have talented kids from the local schools perform and that’s bonus time! This is a great show for the young and old and everyone in between. The popcorn made fresh in the lobby is another draw for me. My office is one of the sponsors for this show and we never miss it! Also, the Winter Solstice Celebration is coming back to Syracuse. This show will be at St Paul’s Cathedral downtown and run for 34 nights. When the Solstice Celebration was last in town it was an eclectic mix of solemn, seasonal, and joyful music. You will leave the Cathedral uplifted and how many events can you say that about!! There is so much more to recommend…Spend an afternoon snowshoeing or X country skiing with family or a friend. Being outdoors in this weather is very very good for you…it increases your metabolism and helps you burn off some of those Christmas goodies. Bottom line is that this holiday should be about you growing your personal relationships not your relationship with Amazon Prime. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all.
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