December Simplicity

Our tree went up this weekend, and it is always one of my very favorite parts of the holiday.  I love going through each ornament and remembering why it is special to us.  Everyone is bursting with excitement over decorating and the holiday ahead.  This year was no exception, and we were all very enamored with our tree once it was complete.  But then something changed.

I sat back to admire the festive decorations around us and I could already feel the urgency beginning to take over.  The list of projects not yet completed (or even started) began to cause a bit of panic as I looked at the days remaining on the calendar.  How could it possibly all be finished in time?  How exhausting were these next few weeks going to be?

Then I stopped.  Not this year, I told myself.

This year I'm not going to waste one minute worrying about creating the perfect holiday for everyone.  This year there will be invitations and orders that will simply have to be politely declined.  Often in an effort to create a sense of simplicity and magic for the holidays I end up creating a lot of exactly the opposite for myself and miss out on some the the real magic of the holiday.   This year we have really tried to focus on the beauty in simplicity and it has been wonderful for our family.  Yet, somehow the holidays always seem and exception to this rule.  This year we are really putting those ideas to the test and striving for a beautiful and simple holiday together.

The to-do list was quietly pushed aside, gifts yet to be made put on the back burner for another year, and all the expectations that put so much pressure on our time and ability to remain in good cheer this holiday season were hushed.  The mama-made stockings and new advent calendar that rolled over from last year's list?  They're not going to be ready this year either.  And you know what, that's completely okay - perfect even.

Instead we will sit here in the glow of our perfectly imperfect Christmas tree (failing branches and missing garland anyone?), and know that for us, and for this moment in time, all is as it should be.