Expecting Christmas

Do you sometimes see December 25 on the calendar and want to run in the opposite direction? How many gingerbread men, holiday parties and bows affixed to presents does one have to endure in a few short weeks?

Sometimes we get caught up in making sure our family’s Christmas Is. The. Best. Ever. And in the process, we lose something of our ourselves as we rush hither and yon in search of the perfect present, the perfect tree, the perfect holiday party outfit and the perfect Christmas cookie. Often, what we’re really running around for is not to please ourselves but to meet the expectations of others, spoken or perceived.

We picture what an ideal Christmas should look like, no matter that our family doesn’t like to sing carols, or that Junior is allergic to pine needles. We carry that image around in our minds and measure everything we do to ensure that it meets an impossible vision of Christmas.

What we end up being is simply exhausted, frustrated and grumpy when we should be happy, relaxed and joyful during this season of celebrating our families, friends and the birth of our Savior.

Image courtesy of Grant Cochrane/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It doesn’t have to be like that. You can jump off the Christmas merry-go-round and have the Christmas you really want, leaving behind those expectations that tangle us up in knots much like last year’s tree lights. My article, “Great (Christmas) Expectations,” on Crosswalk.com gives some simple ways to unchain ourselves from the expectations of others and to truly love this season of joy.

Remember that you and your family should be the only ones to decide what Christmas will look like—it doesn’t have to be postcard perfect, it doesn’t have to have what’s always been done if no one enjoys that, and it doesn’t have to be what you think is required. It just has to be what fits your family and your schedule.

Until next time,

Sarah

Early in 2014, Sarah and Mary Elizabeth Peritti will speak on Parenting With Love & Leadership in a four-part webinar series. Contact Sarah through her website for more information.