Thanksgiving has come and gone and now all over the country, people are rushing to get their shopping lists done, their homes decorated, packages wrapped, and yuletide travel plans finalized.  Everyone wants to have that Hallmark, Norman Rockwell-esque Christmas season, but more often than not, there are times that more closely resemble ‘Cousin Eddie’ trying to drain the RV’s sewer line out front than a Martha Stewart Christmas dinner.  The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year.  Here are a few tips to help keep it manageable.

Be Patient

This is a hard one.  Lines will be long at the grocery store, gas station, and department store.  You’ve got a thousand things to do, and Marcie is at the front of the grocery line trying to pay by check.  By check? Is this the Middle Ages?  Why doesn’t she just barter with the services of her husband, the town smithy?  I’m sure he can shoe their plow horses in exchange for a bag of potatoes.  Anyway, I digress.  Do you know who else is out and about this holiday season, trying to get their errands done?  Everybody, that’s who.  Allow yourself some extra time to get those to-dos completed, and maybe cut back on the amount you want to accomplish each trip.  Your back molars (that you’re currently grinding down) and your overall mental health will thank you.  Serenity now!

Be Kind

Your day is going to hell in a hand basket.  You know who you shouldn’t take it out on?  The eighteen-year-old cashier who is working a seasonal gig at ‘Target’.  Yeah, they know the line is long.  Yeah, they know they are out of ‘Harry Potter’ Legos.  You know what else?  There’s nothing they can do about it, either.  This goes double for servers in restaurants.  If you are out in a group and someone starts verbally abusing the staff for no legitimate reason?  That’s a red flag, and you shouldn’t be hanging out with them in the future.  Dump these toxic people from your phone, friend circle, and life in general.  You know what you should be doing?  Holding the door open for that elderly gentleman with an armful of packages at the Post Office. 

Be Considerate

Do you know the mantra that many people should be saying to themselves more and more these days?  “I’m not the main character in this story.”  Don’t use your speaker phone in a restaurant or in a public setting.  Run into someone you haven’t seen for a while at the grocery store?  That’s great, now take your shopping carts and get them out of the aisle while you catch up.  Got a party of nine and only you got to the bar fifteen minutes early?  Don’t try to camp out space at two tables while you wait for everyone else to arrive.  Guess what?  There are other folks trying to sit down who are here already.  The entitlement and self-centered expectation of “this is all about me” that abounds in today’s society is palpable, and we all need to take a second and think about everybody else in the room.

I know, being patient, kind, and considerate during the holiday rush is a tall order, but it has to start somewhere, and that place is with you.  So, use your turn signal, wave that mother with the full grocery cart across, and drop a dollar in the Salvation Army kettle when you’re out and about this holiday season.