Sensing the Holidays: Smell, Touch, Hearing, Taste & Sight
Best wishes to every for a happy holiday season. If 2016 was as sh*t for you as it was for me, hopefully 2017 will be even a tad bit better. *fingers crossed for us all*
The holidays can be overwhelming with the chaos, noise, things to do, etc etc etc more more and ‘oh yeah there’s this one little extra item’. BUT, if you can focus on your physical senses even for a moment here and there, maybe you can catch a glimpse of peace and calm or least a moment to let your heart slow down its frantic beating. I cannot possibly be the only one feeling like I’ve been training for a marathon by the end of each day.
So, what are the senses again? It’s been awhile since grade school hammered in what they are.
Smell
Smell and memory are so closely interwoven that it can be difficult to separate the two. Recognize that the two play with one another and recognize where they bleed together and why, for you. Your experiences are like no other single human being’s, and while we may have similarities to others based on age or geography, we think and experience the world very differently.
Walking into a parent’s house and immediately remembering fond childhood experiences just by smelling the house, the cooking, even the crazy cleaning or beauty products that seem to cling to the very walls.
Candles slowly releasing a scent that you picked out for a reason, to share with others and specifically with the intent of sharing, of bringing people together, of welcoming visitors into the intimacy of your home.
Wreaths and garland that you chose not just for how lovely they look but also for the soft scent that they cast in the air. How close do you have to be to smell them subtly and then if you go close enough to inhale, can you imagine yourself somewhere else, in the woods or Narnia or beyond?
Firewood burning often takes people home in their memories.
Are the cookies baking made each year out of love for a relative or because a recipe was seen in a magazine? If you look below the surface for the cause, you may find an emotional struggle or message from the person baking those items, whether it’s one of love, insecurity, or something else entirely.
Even some books allow us to smell as part of the experience of reading, like The Sweet Smell of Christmas
, which has scratch and sniff areas that are great for children as young as even a year old.
Touch
Wreaths and garland. A bit of nature brought into the home. Soft or bristly? Fake or real?
Holding the hands of little ones. My body relaxes when I hold my daughter, and I feel like the scene in The Grinch where his heart grows several sizes. Even holding the hands of strangers can connect us emotionally or mentally with other humans, solidifying that whole “caring” and “giving a shit” thing that this time of year is so often about.
Soft blankets and snuggles. Testy teenagers may gripe about snuggles other parts of the year, but around the holidays, they may slip back into a childhood realm and not only tolerate hanging out with us but also snuggling. Everyone needs physical touch, even our pets and the grouches we may find in holiday events. Hug ‘em.
Read holiday books and draw ’em close. Like bait for snuggles.
by Jon Agee has an interesting perspective on how Santa may have spent part of his childhood.
Don’t touch the candles. That’s bad.
The unfamiliar couch or chair in another person’s home.
Hearing
The hum of the heat or refrigerator running. It can be like white noise in a calming way.
Voices down the hall as visitors unpack their belongings after just arriving. You did it. You made the preparations for their arrival, and now you can enjoy the calm moment. As a host, you made someone feel welcome.
The pitter patter of little feet that are too excited to stay in bed. My daughter has spent several nights peering out the window looking for Santa to come and give her a ride in his sleigh. Those were not nights to get mad and strictly try to enforce a bedtime. Those were moments to let the gift of magic from a young child penetrate my heart and mind in the Christmas spirit.
Taste
Cookies from a coworker or neighbor don’t have to be fancy to be delicious from the good intentions in their giving.
Cider, hot chocolate, and all the other holiday drinks that you may not treat yourself to the rest of the year. Savor the flavor. Don’t think of New Year’s resolutions just yet.
The air has a taste sometimes depending on where you are. The taste of cold and snow on the way when out walking the dogs.
Sight
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As simple as focusing on elements in a book and trying to locate a specific item, like Waldo, can bring back our mental focus and provide momentary relaxation.[/caption]
This season provides sight overload sometimes. Instead of trying to see everything, focus on a single color or watch a tree for a longer time than normal. Change the pace of watching or what you’re watching for. If you were to tell a stranger about what you’re seeing, how could you describe it?
A plant in the corner that keeps going just fine despite moving from one state to another more than a year ago.
A sleigh that I got for my daughter’s Christmas books, and while I only use it this time of year, it has so many memories of my own childhood.
A sleeping dog who snuggles gently as I work.
The calendar in the corner of my computer counting down the last days of 2016. Thank. Goodness. There were good memories from this year, but I really hope 2017 is better.
Best wishes for everyone to have a happy holiday season no matter what you’re celebrating right now, even if it’s just a few moments to yourself and your own mind!
