Ok, so this does have the potential to be quite grabby in its’ tag line – yes? I have been pondering this for the past while. Actually, I’ve more likely than not been pondering and feeling it for a very long time. I am an introvert. I had this thought the other day that some of my negative reactions to Christmas actually have to do with feeling like I just don’t fit in the season. The Christmas season, at least in our North American culture, is full of activities and stuff that probably go well with more of an extroverted type of personality: more people to see, malls and shopping with more people, more family members to fit into the calendar. Am I coming across that I don’t enjoy people? Because I really do, just not in the compact, squeezed in, let’s throw everyone together sort of way. I have been discovering over the past few years some things about myself, and it’s not that I don’t enjoy people, it’s just that for me to feel like I am awake and authentically present to the variety of people in my life, I need to have  some time to myself. So, I am attempting to take care of myself, make room for the activities of the season, and let the rest just go. Oh, I am also a recovering people pleaser, so that kind of gets tricky to actually walk out and act upon change during this season. I think I have some issues with Christmas.