This is notoriously the hardest time for me to get through. I actually love the holidays but never get to enjoy them because it's a race to the finish line at work. At the last three places I've worked, this has always been the heaviest work time of the year.
It's why I began the tradition of listening to Merle Haggard sing "If We Make It Through December" every year, because, by god, if I can just make it through December, everything's gonna be all right, I know….
When I used to work for Lockheed, every December was the time of year I had to decide which of my employees would get laid off, if layoffs got as far as our department. Thankfully, I never actually had to lay someone off, but the stress of making that kind of decision always put a pall on my holidays.
So I'm thankful I don't have to go down that road anymore. My company is doing well, stock price is high, and we're working hard. I had a minor breakdown on Friday listing all the projects that have to get done before December 21 (after which my company shuts down for the holidays). I started crying because I can't get them all done. Being a perfectionist, this kind of stuff gets me…hard.
I had another mini-breakdown today and one of my trusted friends and coworkers talked me down. She is in the same boat and we agreed…what will get done will get done. What doesn't, won't. I won't get fired, but it won't look good. And that just has to be ok.
So in happier news, (keeping my promise to myself to have a happier outlook, please) I haven't yet heard what I consider to be my "hallmark" of the holidays; the first time I hear "Feliz Navidad". I mean, good ol' Jose Feliciano is my own personal Rudolph, yanno? Haven't heard it yet. It's not the hellidays until I sing along!
Soon, tho, I know soon. I've already watched "White Christmas", my other tradition, so I’m on the way.
How about you? What's your "sign that the holidays have begun" and have you seen/heard/said it yet?
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