By now I’m sure you’ve seen as many articles as I have about creating a stress-free holiday. There are many lovely ideas floating around out there, and I’m always trying to incorporate some of them, but I think having a totally stress-free holiday as The Mother is completely unrealistic. Christmas is the project of all projects that you can’t put off or avoid, and it lands right on top of your regular life that isn’t slowing down one bit.
Some of what happens is truly joyful (seeing the cards from family and friends, watching our children perform in concerts and plays, enjoying the holiday music and lights), other things we may love even though they create a good deal of stress (neighbor gifts, sending cards, making homemade gingerbread or sugar cookies, trying to go to all the fun activities in the community), and then there are other things many of us would like to avoid all together but simply can’t (getting together with confrontational family members, the awkward holiday work party, making and cleaning up an unimaginable amount of food).