Tis The Season

I love the holidays.  I am one of those Moms with decorations for every season, and just about every holiday.  None for Arbor day, which the kids and Nana pointed out the other night as they were teasing me about the decorating thing.  Apparently I need some tree themed decorations...when exactly is Arbor day?

Anyway, the point is, I like celebrating the different holidays, and Halloween thru New Years is one of my favorite stretches of the year.  I love watching my kids have fun, getting excited about some of the simple things that go with the season.  The traditions and new experiences make me feel connected, to the past, the future, and most importantly to the here and now. 

That said, Norman Rockwell we are not!  My house is never really clean, and getting ready for holiday visitors like Nana means the stress of pulling together to raise the bar on what clean means!  Even the act of decorating can become a chore and not a pleasure if I let it.  My/our lives are busy, and fitting in the holiday activities is not always easy.  If I am not careful, the joys of the holidays, that sense of connection, of being in the past, present and future all at once, easily gets lost in the stress of "getting it all done right".  

I have learned that I have to let things go if as a family we are going to make positive memories and not memories of Mom on a stressed out holiday rampage.  So yes, the house is a lot cleaner and more organized when Nana comes to visit, but it is not magazine perfect.  There are in fact dust bunnies under the couch, and a dust web or three in corners I missed.  The hallway upstairs is still not painted, and I do not recommend anyone go to the basement if they can avoid it.  Thanksgiving dinner will be just fine, and while the pie crust may not be homemade,  the mashed potatoes will be!  

It is a work in progress, as life usually is.  If you are feeling overwhelmed by the stresses of the holiday season, my advice is to step back and think about the memories you want to make. Setting a pretty table is fun, having a Martha Stewart worthy table may be more stress than it is worth.  If you have kids, think about what they will remember, and it is not likely to be how perfectly  clean the house is, or the finely crafted centerpiece.  They will remember the smells of the kitchen, and the pleasure of spending time with family having fun together. They will remember the traditions you are creating or reinforcing about the dishes served, or who carves the turkey.  That is what I am putting my energy into, and I am trying very hard to let go of the other pressures I can put on myself. I hope you can do the same, and I wish you and your family a warm and happy holiday season!