Whose expectations shape your holidays?

We are smack, dab in the middle of the holidays and I am paying attention to my expectations.

No matter where you are stuck or overwhelmed, how does shaping your own expectations for yourself support your optimal health?

My expectations have shifted away from concerns about matching silverware or fully stocking the local food shelf.

Instead, I notice a shift towards expectations that I will have enough energy to enjoy the dinners out, the late-night airport runs, the ramped up family activities.

And that I will stay even through the emotional let-downs that my adult-children experience upon finally being home after months of work that stretches them past capacity.

And that I will have the presence of mind to notice abundance, rather than focusing on "what isn't", including the cat fur clumped under the couch.

My expectations are becoming more and more my own. And even if my expectations aren't always realistic and I don't always meet them, they are mine.

I notice a softening along the way...

Instead of focusing on the hand towel I forgot to replace in the bathroom, I notice my beloved brother-in-laws' tears as we shared gratitudes at the dining room table.

I notice the silky soft warmth of my daughter's cheeks when she hugs me hello.

And I notice the dedication of a father who drove his young daughter all the way from a far-reaching suburb to our home to deliver her baked goods, in support of her growing passion.

As I shape my own expectations for myself and reframe what I notice, I can exhale.

That feels healthy.