This is it. The most magical time of the year. Christmas trees are twinkling, garlands are hung, and presents aren’t the only things that are piling up! Activities are crazy this time of year. From family functions to school holiday performances to community events, December is jam packed!
As a working mom, I am frantically checking my calendar, looking up local events, and trying to fit it all in. I want this Christmas to be pure magic, I want all the Santa pictures, I want my daughters to get to see all their family, and I want them to enjoy all the special Christmas time events.
I want to make it all happen.
Last weekend, a couple of holiday events that I had been tracking took place, but exhausted after a big project at work and having the girls by myself as my husband worked all weekend, I just didn’t have the energy. The mom guilt hit hard. These events weren’t re-occurring. I had ruined the holiday.
To salvage the day, I turned on some Christmas movies and dug out some coffee filters and scissors, and my five-year-old and I sat down for hours cutting snowflakes to hang from our ceiling. We ended the day with a quiet drive to enjoy some Christmas lights. I felt pathetic. I had missed the big event. I didn’t think I had done enough. But as I tucked my daughter in at night, she said she had the best day. She loves the magical snowflakes hanging down her hallway and loves seeing all the colorful lights. I asked if she would like to go to the other big event coming up or if she would like to take another drive, this time with her father in tow, to look at more lights. She excitedly said she wants to cut more snowflakes and go see more Christmas lights! This is in place of a big community event.
And then the mom guilt started to ease. Maybe, just maybe, I hadn’t screwed this up.
As the season progresses, sure, we’ll still hit some big events, and a Christmas party or two, but no more stressing out. There will be no regret missing a party or event to stay home in pajamas instead. Or missing a holiday festival to take a quiet drive to see Christmas lights.
