We call it the “holidays,”a word derived, obviously, from “holy day,” but I’m 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.

That’s the first oxymoron, we all know. Who’s relaxed over the winter holidays? The Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Forbes magazine—everyone, 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 (“5 Questions”, p. 118). Like many latter-day gurus, they advise you take care of yourself first.

We do treat ourselves more at this time of year—extravagant meals, frequent parties and pretty clothes are all part of celebrating the holidays. Page through this issue of Salt Lake magazine and you’ll find all kinds of indulgences, from luxurious jewelry (“Second Skin,” p. 98) to decadent sweets (“Sweet Endings,” p. 76) to great restaurants (Dining Guide, p. 133)

But—and this is the biggest contradiction of the season—the best way to take care of ourselves is to take care of others. Isn’t it funny how those two things—giving and receiving—go together? And this is also the time of year when we’re inspired—or prodded—to 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 Warchol’s story about Utah-based Choice Humanitarian (“The Business of Fighting Poverty,” p. 92) and Susan Lacke’s (“Tiny Miracles,” p. 84) about premature babies and you’ll get the idea. Taking care of others is taking care of ourselves.

Oh yeah. I think it’s called the Golden Rule.

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See more inside our 2017 November/December Issue.

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