Helpful Hints for Surviving the Holidays

Well, the holidays have come around again, ushering in times of joy and times of stress. The holidays are not always easy and thus here are just a few words that may offer help if you find your stress level soaring. Having experienced holidays that are packed with family gatherings, and having had the experience of creating and raising a now-grown and gone family, I now contrast those lively days with a quieter existence. Life has taught me to be flexible with the various cycles of growth; there are always opportunities for service and connection if you are willing to take the risk.

Thus, if you find yourself at odds with how to spend your time, or simply crave new traditions, here are some suggestions.

1. Volunteer! There are always social service agencies looking for help, not just on the holidays but year round. There are even agencies that will assist you in finding a good match for your volunteer talents. It was through such an organization that I came across an equine rescue group in need of assistance. www.volunteermatch.org.

2. Play tourist! I have been fortunate to live in several tourist-towns, such as Sedona and Scottsdale. Both have travelers year round and thus there are fun events and places to visit. On one holiday I found myself sharing a table at a coffeehouse with an older gentleman who seemed to just not want to be alone on that day, and we were able to connect over small talk.

3. Reach out! It can be fun to assemble an array of your friends for a day of fun. I did this one year with my significant other at the time, and we collected an unusual array of individuals at our home for a Thanksgiving dinner. The memory of that unique ensemble stays with me still, even though it is many years later.

4. Join a group! I have discovered meetup.com, an online group organizing service that collects like-minded individuals together over such diverse interests as ghost hunting, healing arts, playing board games, even hiking. And what is great about this resource is that it seems to be pretty much everywhere! This year I tried a hiking group with good result.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2014, a year filled with radiant good health, nurturing friendships, and creative work that you love. Namaste,
Jane

I've always been fascinated by all things ancient, not explained, mysterious....including old maps. When I was little I would avidly watch a television show called "in Search of..." They tackled many mysteries, such as the Bermuda Triangle, the Nazca Lines, Bigfoot, many times without reaching an answer. I was captivated. It led me to a sense of awe and a brief experience, I guess, of a deeper sense of Awe that I would tap into in later life. I would fall asleep to a sense of deep wonder. To my youthful way of thinking, I could not figure out why these mysteries were not front page news, instead of the jarring crime and other things that were covered nightly. I'd much rather dream of ancient sunken cities and to wonder about people that used to exist. How did those pyramids get built? and why are they found all over the globe, and in alignment with certain star patterns?

Today while lingering at Sky Harbor Airport, I came across the work of an artist that blends two of my favorite and inspiring things: picture of the west, natural and raw, and maps. Termed cartography, Deborah Springstead Ford has managed to create the same type of awe I felt as a child as she blends magic and mainstream in her artwork. The link to the photos can be found here: http://aridjournal.com/cartography-and-the-cultural-terrain-deborah-springstead-ford/