The Freedom to Celebrate!

My last post was quite heavy, but hopefully not discouraging. As the holiday season arrives this week, I want to encourage all of you to celebrate with great joy. Embrace and enjoy the freedom you have to celebrate this season!

Growing up military meant that our 'traditions' changed each year. Sometimes we lived much too far from extended family to make the trek northward. Sometimes Dad was deployed and sometimes we joined friends to celebrate the day. Dad has since retired from the Air Force and we have the luxury of establishing some traditions with both my parents and my husband's.

It seems that our society puts quite a lot of pressure on us to create a 'perfect' holiday season for our families. And by 'society' I really mean retailers and others who are looking for a financial profit. I've felt this pressure and, sadly, have fallen into its ugly little trap. With that in mind, let me share a little list I made a week or so ago:

This holiday season, I will...
1. allow myself to say no to any activity, party, event that I don't really, really want to attend. Why run my family ragged running from one party to the next? It's really okay to say no.
2. remind myself that Martha Stewart has an entire staff and exceedingly high budget to create 'the perfect' holiday. She also has a husband who left her and a daughter who very famously dislikes her. I think Martha sort of missed the point.
3. create some fun memories with my little guy even if it leaves flour-y messes on my kitchen floor, decorations a bit askew and a tree with lots of decorations on the bottom, but not so much toward the top.
4. cuddle up on the couch, watch "White Christmas" and drink hot chocolate often.

Don't sacrifice fun memories for holiday 'perfection.' Pop your favorite movie in the dvd player, sing Christmas songs as often as you please, eat too many cookies and make some fabulous memories!