I am up early today. I have a drive to make alone, and what faces me at the end of that drive is something I hoped I would never see in this life, at this age.

I know this time of year is complicated. Around the holidays, I vacillate between childlike giddiness and grinch-like crankiness.

Maybe you do, too. Maybe today, you would like to burn your Christmas tree to the ground.

But do this:

Take stock of what you have. Remember how much you have, how much you have had, the richness and fullness of your life.

Think about your relationships and appreciate what each of them adds to your life.

Sit back, take a deep breath, sip some coffee, tea, or cocoa, look at some twinkly lights, and remember what you have.