'Tis the Season ... to slow down.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. And the season to be frantic, over-busy, on automatic pilot and, not surprisingly, often depressed. The rush to the next event, the lists of obligations, a pace of stressed out “getting things done” and all we miss in this hurry is….. our lives.

What about going against this cultural trance and considering now ( not after New Years) the alternative of devoting a day a week to slow and meaningful living for the whole family.

Just imagine: one day a week free of the car, fee of the television, free of the computer. Egad! What would that leave? A walk to and up the Overlook Trail. A bike ride to the Sonoma Garden Park. A walk over to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. A conversation with the whole family. Old fashioned entertainment: musical instruments, cards, a tea party, a book discussion, a board game. Some time in the garden. A stroll to a neighbor’s house. Practicing some wintertime carols. Tossing a Frisbee or a ball around. Watching the ducks in the Plaza. Writing letters on real paper.

We all want the same things: to love more and to be happy. Perhaps one day a week is not too much to devote to what is most important in life.