Keep smiling during the holidays

The holidays are fun. They’re so much fun that it’s good they happen only once a year.

For most of us, stress soars to stratospheric levels during the holidays. There are, of course, several ways to cope with it. Many Americans have tried drugs and alcohol, but they only complicate matters.

Or at least that’s what we’ve been told.

Other things also "soar" during the holidays. Normally sane people are prone to road rage while aimlessly circling the parking lots of shopping centers looking for any parking space within three nautical miles of an actual store.

There are lines for everything: lines to see Santa; lines to find and pay for gifts; lines to eat or drink; lines to send or exchange gifts.

We can easily lose our tempers, make fools of ourselves, eat too much, smoke too much or party too much.

We’re overloaded with responsibilities: sending holiday cards (mom), putting up holiday displays and outdoor lights (dad), buying Christmas trees (dad), decorating Christmas trees (mom), gift wrapping (mom), assembling toys (dad, even if mom is better at it), attending holiday parties (mom and dad), writing letters of apology (dad) and having fun (kids).

The message of the holidays is of love, generosity and caring for others. It’s sometimes hard to remember with all the other stuff that’s going on.

But we try our best. Hang in there––and don’t let the hassles outweigh the happiness.