I never thought of myself as a Scrooge, but now that the holidays are over, the decorations are taken down, things are put in their rightful places, and the extended family has gone home…I can finally breathe.
The magic of the holidays is something that I always cherish. I love the enchantment of Santa, the smell of fresh-baked cookies, the family traditions. It is a beautiful time of the year. But am I the only one who has been stressed the last month?
Don’t get me wrong; I essentially love it all, but only for a short time. I feel like a Scrooge saying this, but has this holiday season dragged on or what?!
As Scrooge would say, ba-humbug!
It’s not like this year was super different than others. But, something that often doesn’t get spoken about is the stress of the holiday season.
It’s freaking stressful. Planning events and dinner parties, secret Santas, gifting – heck, even meals for the days in between can feel like a lot when you’re bogged down by the holidays.
Something that hit me hard this year was balancing extended family. Usually, this balancing act isn’t an issue. We have family from all over the place; Colorado, Wisconsin, Maine, and lower Michigan. Usually, we plan things all to happen back or back or together. Obviously, the grandkids are a hot commodity, so it usually just works out. However, this year because of COVID, there wasn’t very much mixing of the families, and it was way more complicated than I anticipated.
I felt like we were pulled one way one night, and the opposite direction the next night. You might as well forget your kid’s schedule because those just went right out the window.
Maybe I am a Scrooge. My husband certainly tells me that enough! But I really feel like I can’t help it. I know it’s a short time, but I like having a daily schedule, and so do my kids. Our schedule works for us, which is laughable because we are a farm family where anything can change on a dime or the weather.
The holidays have officially just passed, and the year has changed from 2021 to 2022. The kids’ vacation is over, and everything is almost back to normal.
Taking a deep breath as the new year comes into full swing, I have taken notes from this year to remember for next year:
Here are my takeaways. {and if I sound like Scrooge I’m okay with that}:
- Make time for yourself. It is essential!
- Self-care should always be a hot topic and on the top of your list. Burnout is real. If something or someone makes you uncomfortable, don’t stand for it.
- It is alright to say no. Don’t want to go to dinner? Say no. Don’t want to travel? Say no. Event during your kid’s naptime? Say no. It’ll be alright, your family should understand.
- Quality time is better than the quantity of time.
- Make those memories and live the traditions! One more cookie never hurt anyone. Okay, this one is a little more symbolic. My kids and I bake together, and I was so sick of baking batch after batch of cookies {my husband didn’t complain}. But those memories and the flour everywhere will be something I always remember. I am sure they will too. So put out those cookies for Santa, do 12-books of Christmas, get those new PJs for Christmas-eve. Whatever you decide to do, soak it in.
It is alright to celebrate that the holidays are over. Let your inner Ebenezer Scrooge out, celebrate taking the tree down, and get back to normal. I know I did. Mic drop, I said it.
Do I love the holidays? Absolutely. Am I exhausted? One-hundred-freaking percent. Anyone else?
So, cheers, ladies! Here is to finding tiny toys and bits of wrapping paper in random places for the next few weeks. We made it; it’s over, we can breathe, now take a nap.
