Try to be patient during the holiday season

Imagine, if you will, a hypothetical day in the life of a local resident during holiday season: •Running behind schedule because of a worse-than-usual traffic jam at your daughter's school, you remain stopped at a green light while four vehicles disobey a red light and turn left in front of you. •The packed parking lot at the shopping center is even worse because of motorists who drive around and around, then stop to wait for a prime parking spot adjacent to the mall entrance. You end up in a tight space between two SUVs the size of aircraft carriers, 100 yards from the closest entrance, which is, of course, at the opposite end of the mall from the store you're going to. •The gift item you wanted is sold out. The salesperson shows you the small print that says "No rain checks on this item-limited to merchandise in stock." •You eventually find something and you keep the receipt because your spouse has never actually kept or worn any item of clothing that you gave as a gift. (By Christmas, the receipt will have mysteriously disappeared.) •As you exit the mall, you get honked at by a rude driver who cut you off, but made it look like you were the aggressive driver. •After spending an hour untangling the holiday lights from last year, you spend another 30 minutes putting them up, only to discover that they don't work. •Dinner gets burned to a crisp and the waiting time at your favorite restaurant is 45 minutes, which would make you a halfhour late to your daughter's holiday concert at school. You skip dinner. •After the concert, you get into an argument with your spouse about the proper wine to serve with Christmas dinner. •Your son has come down with the flu and will miss tomorrow's final exams. You call the school, but get lost in voice mail purgatory.

Everyone is stressed during the holidays. It's inevitable. But there are precautionary steps.

Plan your day. Allow time for unexpected delays. Get enough sleep. Be patient with others. Keep a positive attitude.

And don't forget to pray.