Planning for the Holidays

When the winter holidays approach – Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Day – a mild flutter of anticipation grows in the depths of my gut. After all, Santa Claus IS coming to town.

I am a born planner and organizer, avoid Pinterest design ideas, preferring to create - attempt to anyway - outside of the online box.

My husband and children would agree that holidays are exciting to me with their many events, family gatherings, decorating, smells, and creative thinking in choosing the perfect gifts. I am an idealist and truly believe each year that the holidays will be joyful, plans will run smoothly, and there will be peace and love with all. I’m my mom’s child and she was an optimist – how could she be so upbeat when in reality holidays are so exhausting and imperfect.

Fatigue is of my own making as I struggle with an auto immune disease but still have plans in place to:

·       Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for approximately 30-35 family members to include three turkeys and a duck, seriously.

·       Decorating with snowmen (no Santa figures until the day is over).

·       Clearing the backroom after the meal for people to decorate gingerbread houses with the blessed and total leadership of my girls.

·       Continue my walking with an average goal of 3.01 miles daily.

·       A soup meal with friends at my house in early December, when the house will be fully decorated with two trees, snowmen and Santa figurines.

·       Attending a cookie decorating party, making select cookies to add to the treats.

·       Jumping into a weekly book study about the holidays and how to create a peaceful time for everyone (don’t I wish). If only my thoughts and actions would align with the authors of this book. But, I try…

·       Organizing a special dinner at a local restaurant with friends.

·       Holding a girl-only (first time doing this) family Christmas gift exchange.

·       Having a Christmas time with our children a week before Christmas so all can attend.

·       Mulling over having a field trip to the Zoo to see the lights and animals on Christmas Eve.

·       More walking and thinking of what needs to be purchased, wrapped, fixed, cleaned, cooked, for all the above festivities.

·       Trying to remain cheerful this year while also remembering and grieving the loss of a sister.

·       Feeling blessed.

I want to assure you, dear reader, that, for me, these holiday gatherings, are fun to anticipate, and done with an attempt to share the spirit of the season – but, as a fallible human, tiring. I do acknowledge the secular along with the religious and spiritual aspects of Christmas.

As most planners know, activities and events come with many “cons” and “pros” which I leave to your imaginations and experiences. 

I wish for you a peaceful, joy-filled, relaxing Christmas. As for me, I’m collecting some good reading materials for the time between Christmas and through New Year’s Day.