This time of year it is so easy to get overwhelmed by all of the things on my To Do List. I have decided that this is the year that I am going to do all of the things that bring me joy. I think you should, too.

Seriously, letting go of all of the “have to’s ” has been so freeing. I know that things will happen if they are meant to happen and I have given myself a pass on doing every single thing that I “think” I need to do.

Allowing myself the opportunity to only do what I want to do has changed my entire attitude this year. I have let go of the stress and expectations and am happily doing all the things that bring me joy.

Baking cookies has always been a huge part of my Christmas tradition. Some of my earliest memories are making cookies with my mom. We would make batches upon batches of different kinds to give to friends. That was a tradition that I have continued through the years – even during Covid I tried to bake a few to give to people who would feel okay about receiving them. One of the first kinds that both my sister and I make are Peanut Butter Blossoms. They always taste really yummy. I love that I have her handwritten recipe.

So I have happily made 11 kinds of cookies to share with others and each one has love baked into it.

Some of the other things that I have decided and convince Chris that we need to do this week I will be sharing later. We went to the Grove Park Inn to see the Gingerbread House Display which was amazing. We are headed to the NC Arboretum for their Winter Lights display and that is one thing that I can’t wait to see.

Thursday night we are going to a small holiday gathering with some friends and then to a performance of The Messiah. I have great childhood memories of attending Messiah concerts with my Daddy. I may have only gone to two with him but I remember how lovely it was and how that music always makes me feel. My sister still has his libretto and I have found programs in my mom’s scrapbooks from where he sang in various presentations of it. When I found a local performance I bought tickets immediately.

Saturday is Mr. Diamond’s birthday so we have a nice dinner out planned and will spend the day doing whatever it is that he wants to do. He has taken such good care of me this holiday season- knowing that it is a tough one- and I am so grateful to him because he is willing to do these things to help keep my joy level up.

What are you doing this season to fill your life with joy? I would recommend letting go of some of those things on your To Do List and exchange them for things that bring a smile to your face.