by Nancy O.

A women’s group I belong to has a potluck Christmas dinner every year in the same member’s spacious home. This year, however, our hostess had an unexpected death in the family, and two days before the event, we were without a place to have the party.

Fortunately, we have other members whose homes are large enough, and one of those agreed to be hostess.

It would have been so easy for the unexpected hostess to work herself into a frazzle preparing on such short notice and be a nervous wreck when the day of the event arrived.

Not so.

She was relaxed, at ease. She laughed a lot. There was no sense of nervousness at all. She gave all of us the gift of her gracious, relaxed presence.

As we draw close to Christmas Day, what presence are you giving your family? Your friends? Your guests?

My friend tells me she hasn’t always been this way–that she used to get very highstrung and perfectionistic. But she learned through the years that this is a better way.

Merry, enjoyable Christmas!

Nancy is taking two weeks off. The next newsletter you receive will be on January 9.