Holiday Overwhelm

The holidays can be crazy.  There is so much to do-shopping, cooking, decorating, shopping, meetings with Santa–Did I mention shopping?

Contrary to what I imagined when I was 15, shopping is not one of my favorite things.  Shopping in stores at Christmas time ranks right around the same slot as getting a root canal.  Necessary but not much fun!  I am incredibly grateful for being able to shop on the Internet and of course for one of my favorite places–Amazon.com

I heard a Mom say once that she wouldn’t get so crazy at the holidays but that her family expected it to be so perfect.  I don’t know about her family but I know my family would be happy with just about anything so long as Santa still came (of course).  But the person who wants to make the holidays perfect and memorable and fun at my house is Me! That’s right, I am the Mom and I want perfect holidays!  I want wonderful decorations and delicious meals and perfect presents and I wear myself plumb out every year but I love it!

It can get overwhelming but it helps me when I remember that this is the life I dreamed of, with the kids and the family and the holidays. I can remember about 10 years ago when I was at the office faxing some documents on Christmas Eve and I so strongly knew that I didn’t want my life to be like that.  I don’t ever want to be working on Christmas Eve! I want to be crazy in busyness, preparing for the big day and making it perfect for my kids, my husband, my family, even myself.  That’s the way my life is now and I am so very grateful.  This is the life I envisioned back then.  I appreciate it.  I Love it.  I am so grateful for it. 

So when the overwhelm starts taking over, I take a deep breath and remember being at the office on Christmas Eve so many years ago and I Thank God for the wonderful changes that have taken place in my life. 

I think I’m almost done shopping!  Yeah!