Christmas is quickly approaching. Most of us are busy buying gifts, decorating and baking, all in hopes of having the “perfect” Christmas. None of us will achieve a perfect holiday, because, let’s face it, nothing is perfect.
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When I was younger, I remember seeing movies and magazines which depicted these beautiful trees surrounding by presents with perfectly tied ribbons. The family was always dressed to the nines and they had perfect cookies, treats and Christmas dinner. I just knew I could do this when I grew up. The plan was that I would always plan the perfect Christmas. Then reality hit.
I ended up giving up on these ideas many years ago as it wasn’t attainable. That has lead me to coin it the “Perfect Christmas Myth”. My time was spent trying to make sure my home looked like something from a magazine. From the dishes to the tree, I stressed myself out trying to achieve perfection. Or, what I perceived as perfection.
The truth is that perfection was happening every year. It wasn’t the tree that no one remembers. In fact, it was not even the presents we gave one another that made it perfect. What has provided us with our own version of a perfect Christmas are the memories.
My husband and I think of our very first Christmas together. I remember the last Christmas we had with my sister before she passed away. There are the memories of the first Christmas’s spend with each of our children. We remember traveling across the state to enjoy the holiday with my mom. My husband and I still laugh about the time my niece said Santa was at church when they rang the bells on Christmas Eve mass.
These memories are our perfect Christmas. It had nothing to do with the planning. The tree and the gifts still do not matter. We have always had a perfect Christmas….because it was our Christmas together.
It is so easy to become easily overwhelmed trying to make sure you get that one special gift or that your Christmas dinner meal looks like it came straight from the pages of Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine or from your Christmas Perfection board on Pinterest. Are you trying to achieve your own Perfect Christmas Myth?
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STEP BACK FROM PERFECTION
When you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, it may be time to take a step back and think things over. Don’t feel like making a ham on Christmas day? Don’t. Just make what you want. You’d rather watch Man of Steel than It’s a Wonderful Life? Go for it! You can’t stand the sound of holiday music? Change the station!
There is no such thing as a perfect Christmas. Spending your time trying achieve one might result in your missing out on the you spend your time trying to achieve one. You will miss out on those moments that matter.
Get out from behind your camera and take joy in your day. Sit back and just take in the sounds and faces of your family members. What matters most of all is that you enjoy the company of your family and friends and to heck with the perfect centerpiece.
Don’t believe me? Try to remember what you had to eat for Christmas five years ago. Or, try to remember who you were able to spend the holidays with that same year. Chances are, you haven’t a clue what you ate, but can remember those moments which made your Christmas special. Instead, give a gift of love where you share your heart with your family.
The perfect Christmas you see, is a myth of sorts. You have to redefine it to meet your needs. A perfect Christmas to me is the one where I am with my family and we are able to spend time together as a family. For me, every Christmas is truly perfect, just for that reason alone.
