One of my biggest struggles is letting go of my frustrations. Something happens and you are “justifiably” mad about the situation. We have all been there. Right?!!! A friend makes a snarky comment or the drive-through guy shorts your order. The list could go on and on. How do we not let those things take us down from the inside out?
I like being a happy person. I don’t like feeling upset or angry. With the holidays coming, we have more family gatherings than the rest of the year. And family can sometimes be hard. So how do we change the outcome of the last 30 get-togethers? How can we create a different, positive experience?
One of the things we can do is get rid of our “lists”. You know – the things to be mad about before we even see the family. You may have heard the suggestion to go yell at a tree. Well, I live in Idaho and that is no small task! This time of year, you would have to put on your boots, gloves, hat and hope you don’t freeze your you-know-what’s off in the process! So let me offer another suggestion: Have a snowball fight!
Anger is energy. And before you can have a different experience, you have to get that anger out. So put their picture somewhere, set the timer for 15 minutes and buck those balls. You could even yell all the things you have wanted to tell them for the last 30 years. Hold nothing back! Get all that negative stuff up and out. Throw and throw and yell and yell! After a few minutes, you will start to feel better.
Once you get rid of the anger, you need to replace it with something else. Reset the timer for another 15 minutes and this time think about all the things you love and appreciate about them. We can do this for 15 minutes.
Sometimes all the anticipation and our past experiences get in the way of what family gatherings are about. Let’s get our anger and frustrations out in a constructive way and fill ourselves with positive energy at the same time.
After you use these fun snowballs as stress relief, let the kids have their own snowball fight when your family arrives for Christmas.
Snowball Pattern
I used Minky or plush fabric for my snowballs but you could use any kind of soft fabric.
Using the free pattern, cut 4 pieces for each snowball.
With right sides together and using a ¼ inch seam, sew two pieces together as shown below. You will want to sew pieces edge to edge. Repeat to make 2 half snowballs.
With right sides together and using a ¼ inch seam, sew two half snowballs together as shown below, matching seams at the top and bottom as shown below. Leave about an inch opening for turning and stuffing.
Turn snowball right side out.
Stuff snowball with batting or scraps of fabric. Whipstitch opening shut.
Make about 10 more snowballs and you are ready to play!
I hope your holidays are filled with fun and laughter!
Happy quilting!
The Grateful Quilter 