There’s nothing like an old-fashioned Christmas—goodies on the groaning board,
halls decked with holly berry, gaily wrapped presents piling up on the window sills,
loved ones chiming carols. It can put you flat on your back for a month.

~Jean Kerr

And it isn’t just Christmas or even always religious. It isn’t just cooking, baking and decorating, cleaning, rearranging and lifting, planning, budgeting and shopping, wrapping, hiding, delivering and mailing, it is the traveling to and fro and stopping all along the way. It is the preparing a place for the family and friends to gather for an afternoon, an evening or a week or more. It is the beautiful and graceful effort one puts in a plate of cookies as a gift to a friend or donating money or time or things in the middle of the holidays that is unnecessary, a complete surprise, a wild, random act of ridiculous thoughtful generosity, which feeds our souls, gives us a sense of accomplishment, validates that we can make a difference and may also fatigue us.

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Add in the extra guests, you gladly make room for, things your ran out of, misplaced or forgot and had to get at the last minute, changed plans and people arriving or leaving earlier or later than you thought and the weather. We didn’t have a white Christmas; it was warm, then wet, then cooler. So forgive yourself and any of your family and/or friends that now has a cold, needs to sleep it off, recharge, and had a flare of arthritis, fibromyalgia or any kind of pain or fatigue symptom.

Understand most people have to get back to work immediately or barely had any time off because they are nurses, doctors, firemen, policemen, chefs and retail workers. There are others that will have a bit longer break and still others that just lost their holiday job and will be looking for work. We still have to clean up, do all the dishes, use up all the leftovers, “undecorate”, which may not be a real word but, it is a real thing, and put everything back up or down or stored somewhere for another 10 or 11 months.

When I am looking at a well-decorated Christmas Tree, no amount of adverse experience can convince me that people are anything but good. If people were bad, they wouldn’t go to all that trouble to display that much affection for one another and the world they live in.

~Andy Rooney

So the holiday stress may last longer than we thought. The New Year isn’t here yet but, it is coming. Why wait to make a change or start a resolution or just be good to yourself?
We need it now. Get a Massage, take a walk, read the book you got, try that turmeric milk recipe, and spend time with people who will make you want to do it all over again, next year, smarter and better.

We will be glad to help, between now and Jan. 4th, while we are on break from teaching, we expanded our schedule and would love to finish this year doing something to show our appreciation for the community that we love being part of. So, every session scheduled from December 28th, 2015 thru January 4th, 2016 will be an End of the year Retro Price Session: $75 per hour and a half, $50 per hour or $25 per half hour. Oh Wait! Except this one special day. This day, Wednesday, December 30th will be a donation only day. You may donate what you wish for any 1/2 hour or hour session. You may schedule online here or give us a call at 484-447-8689 (Chris) or 610-906-2322 (Xerlan) to schedule your appointment.

Happy Holidays from Christopher and Xerlan Deery!