Embrace limitations in the season of high expectations

One problem with Christmas is the weight of expectation we unduly place on the holiday.  My mother’s decline as a result of dementia was first noticeable the year she used paper products instead of her good china for the holiday meal.  It was a strategic decision but one that left her restless and discontent.  She acknowledged that the holiday feast was too much for her, but was unwilling to allow her children to help.  The best she could muster was giving in to the use of paper products for the sake of an easier clean up.

It was very difficult for my mother to ever walk with a limp.  Even the last few weeks of her life she needed me and others to believe that she was still able to “do what she always did.”  Untrue, but an essential varnishing of a truth she could not bear - her ability to contribute to the smooth running of her home was slipping beyond her grasp.  Here’s what I wish my mom had been able to accept:  we all walk with a limp.  We all have limitations.  It is not the limitations that cause problems, it is the refusal to acknowledge them that gets us into hot water.

Tomorrow, I want to spend some time thinking through this idea that we all walk with a limp, and consider how knowing this can change the way we experience Christmas this year.  In a good way.

But for now, ask yourself this question:  would your life be (a.) more joyful or (b.) less joyful if you could embrace, accept and even appreciate the limitations of yourself and others?