Forest Bathing and Christmas

Christmas is coming closer! This is the first year in probably 17 years that I will celebrate it for the sake of celebration. My ex-husband had trauma associated with Christmas so to honor his feelings we didn't celebrate it.

Ah, but I miss the smell of the tree and the lovely lights and ornaments! This year I will be having a tree. And I splurged on gifts for all my loved ones! It will be a blast from the past watching them open their gifts.

The gift is truly in the giving. I certainly don't need anything. I am in the process of paring down so that I don't leave a lot for my kids to deal with when I die. And in that whittling away of dead and no longer needed wood I will reveal a beautifully hand carved me to live on with my music, the sharing of my talents and all the love I have to share!

It is the sharing of who we are that matters in this life. For my birthday this year my daughter gave me a little book filled with letters. I was to open one a month throughout the year. It is such a profoundly beautiful way to learn about our effect on the people around us. Check out the products at: https://www.chroniclebooks.com

Please remind yourself, as often as possible, that regardless of your present circumstance you CAN make your life better. It is all in your perspective. Enjoy the natural world, music, laughter and the tears. It is a proven fact that forest bathing and communing with nature, or 'shinrin-yoku' in Japanese, has tremendous health benefits. You can check out my facebook page for some educational videos!