Last week was crazy, wasn’t it? We tried to fit it all in: the baking, the cooking of a bountiful meal, the Zoo Lights, the cozy feelings, family being ever-present, and of course, the shopping. And we were happy, right? Well, most of the time.

How are we supposed to maintain that frantic happiness that the media hypes for the holidays? The answer is we can’t. We do our best, we try to be grateful for what we have. But, when everyone gets cranky, we bundle up, get everyone out of the house and take the dogs for a walk (in 15 degree weather-yes, the dogs have sweaters, and coats, too). When we return home, we encourage them to take a nap afterwards, or watch a stupid movie. And, when they’re all asleep or otherwise occupied, we run. We escape them for a few minutes to regain a sense of peace. We leave the house and go to the gym, away from all of them.

We come back with a sense of perspective. We’re thankful for having a cozy home and a loving family. We’re thankful for peace and not having a war raging in our backyard. We’re thankful for all the food we’ve stuffed ourselves with.  We go out and do some good deeds for the less fortunate. And, we stop worrying. Or at least, that’s what I do. After all, happiness is a state of mind created by me.

Happy Holidays everyone!