Let it Be Good

Some people have their live Christmas tree picked out and decorated all before December first. 

Not me. 

Other years we have bought a real live tree, labored over decorating it just so and enjoyed it’s immaculate beauty at the bright peak of the season. 

These days with three, four and under we decided to save money, time, stress and mess and go artificial. It’s just not worth it. 

Maybe you buy a tree every year. That’s great. I’m choosing not to feel guilt for going fake but choosing to love our choice. Now a couple days past December 1st, the tree is assembled and lightly decorated sans a star on top. I haven’t found one I like yet. (if you have any suggestions, leave me a comment!) Yet, I still feel far, far behind by what I see on social media and in the stores.

This time of year is so busy. There’s so much to be done and it all is supposed to happen in 25 days, actually less.

I can’t see how you cannot be stressed unless you bought all your gifts back in March, completed family pictures in July, bought 10 random gifts for parties two months ago, by Thanksgiving stuffed the freezer full with dozens of homemade cookies and on or after Black Friday fluffed your house with holiday decor, depending of course on whether or not you shopped. 

This year for me Black Friday came and went, small business Saturday came and went and cyber Monday followed in suit as well. I think I was making beds or pealing potatoes.

I’m just not that organized these days and everything piles up – the tree, the decorations, the party food, oh, and don’t forget actual living part like scrubbing toilets, laundry, sweeping up sand in the kitchen and settling petty squabbles. Plus, daily remembering to read Advent. December feels like chaos and constant overwhelm.

I feel some guilt for not being more on top of things and thinking through what all I need for Christmas gifts this year. I wonder why I wasn’t armed and ready with a full list for Black Friday, but I just wonder. Then I look around at the mess and tell myself it’s ok to be different this year.

I’m not shaming myself or comparing myself to you or who I used to be (kidless with hours of free time). I choose to let that standard go and live the life I have now.

I recently read that no matter what you do or don’t do, childhood is pretty magical and every little thing that happens this time of year will go down in history as AWESOME in little kids eyes.

Let me share what I discovered since.

Enjoy the little moments when they magically happen and then — let it be GOOD.

What I mean is, when you find a block of time to bake sugar cookies, do it and let it be enough. Declare it good.

When you find the time to decorate them, do it and let it be good. When you find the time to put lights up in front of the house, or buy that $10 gift for the party, or find a babysitter to do some gift shopping with the hubs, do it and let it be good. 

Let whatever you get done in a suddenly available chuck of time be enough. You might be surprised that in the end little chunks of time presented themselves to you and you were able to get more accomplished than you realized. Maybe. Or, maybe not. Who knows. Let whatever happens happen and declare it as good. Like God did when he created the world.

You might not get stuff done all at once or like you used to but this year you do the Christmas season in a different way. Life is different as a parent verses being the innocent child.

The real key here is to let it be good. Because you did it. The chance came to you and you seized it and didn’t stress trying to find that time. The time came to you. And, you accomplished something. Be grateful. You probably won’t get everything done you’d like or you might surprise yourself and see in hindsight that you did. 

Let what you get done be enough. Proclaim it good and be grateful.

Then go take a nap and ignore the clothes in the dryer.