We call it the âholidays,âa word derived, obviously, from âholy day,â but Iâm not even going to go into the ramifications and failures of that definition. Holiday in our culture is supposed to mean a day of rest and relaxation.
Thatâs the first oxymoron, we all know. Whoâs relaxed over the winter holidays? The Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Forbes magazineâeveryone, it seems, offers tips for coping with holiday pressures and anxiety. Park City Life editor Vanessa Conabee turned to Jennifer Mulholland and Jeff Shuck, owners of Plenty, for some stress-relieving tips (â5 Questionsâ, p. 118). Like many latter-day gurus, they advise you take care of yourself first.
We do treat ourselves more at this time of yearâextravagant meals, frequent parties and pretty clothes are all part of celebrating the holidays. Page through this issue of Salt Lake magazine and youâll find all kinds of indulgences, from luxurious jewelry (âSecond Skin,â p. 98) to decadent sweets (âSweet Endings,â p. 76) to great restaurants (Dining Guide, p. 133)
Butâand this is the biggest contradiction of the seasonâthe best way to take care of ourselves is to take care of others. Isnât it funny how those two thingsâgiving and receivingâgo together? And this is also the time of year when weâre inspiredâor proddedâto care more for others. We give each other presents, we volunteer our time for good causes. Our checks to charities might get a little larger. Maybe our hearts grow a size bigger. Read Glen Warcholâs story about Utah-based Choice Humanitarian (âThe Business of Fighting Poverty,â p. 92) and Susan Lackeâs (âTiny Miracles,â p. 84) about premature babies and youâll get the idea. Taking care of others is taking care of ourselves.
Oh yeah. I think itâs called the Golden Rule.
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See more inside our 2017 November/December Issue.