It’s October 28, and that means the holidays are creeping up. Halloween, but also Thanksgiving and Christmas. This will be the first year for the holidays for my wife and I. The first year we’ll have been married for them, and the first year in our own home for them. Exciting times.
Planning for the holidays takes a lot of planning. I never gave it much thought before because I’ve never had to, but it seems to take some thought to figure out traditions, meals and activities, especially if one is hosting the holiday themselves. It would be absurd to hold oneself to a movie’s standard of holiday festivities, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Call me Chevy Chase.
I’m writing this to hold myself accountable - I don’t want to be consumed by the holidays and miss the real meaning for each celebration. I’m the type of person who wants everything to be perfect, always. And that is impossible with holidays. I always want to make sure everyone is happy and that the food is perfect, and in that:
-I don’t want to lose sight of time with everyone I love, which is precious.
-I want to give thanks to God.
-I want to reflect on the histories of why we celebrate and remember.
The holidays are holidays for a reason. It’s more than food and presents. Let us remember those reasons.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Let the holidays unfold themselves, with the love of those around you. Some planning may be required.