This morning, I got my usual series of Snapchat “streaks”, one of which was from my friend, Paige.

She had taken a picture of her coffee cup with her Christmas tree in the background. The cup was the focal point of the picture, but the warm glow of the tree provided the backdrop that reinforced her point.

“There’s nothing like having coffee in front of a Christmas tree.”

My goal this year was to deck our halls timely (end of November) and have the house dripping in holiday magic well in advance of the big day. I wanted us all to live among the sparkles for as long as possible. I wanted Christmas spirit to swirl through every entryway and around every corner. I wanted it to smell like peppermint and gingerbread. I wanted that peaceful, soul-filling “coffee in front of the tree” moment as often as I could get it.

House decorated timely? Check.

Swirling spirit? Well…almost.

Festively fragrant? Meh.

Coffee/Tree combo? A little.

I missed a chunk of holiday enjoyment, because I got sick. While I sniffled and coughed, I felt bad that I wasn’t up churning out magic for my family. That’s what moms do. I apologized to my daughter a few times for not being the jolliest Mistress of Ceremonies they had come to expect, and she fired back wisdom (as she often does) in the form of “oh, you’re being ridiculous” and “nobody has those expectations but you”. The truth sometimes stings, but it’s still the truth.

I realized that even just the four of us in this house are each having a different holiday experience – NOT necessarily bad and NOT because of me.

My husband has been busy at work with lots of big, stressful projects. Besides working hard as well, my son has been working on his car and spending time with his girlfriend. My daughter took off to a “Friendsmas” with plenty of food and fun last week, she hasn’t missed a gym day, and she has kept up her volleyball training.

You know, there’s an old R&B song that says, “One monkey don’t stop no show.” You get that?

If you haven’t been feeling Christmas-y, if you’ve had something that kept you from bake-offs, cookie icing, and gingerbread house construction, please know that it’s okay. Our expectations for ourselves are often lofty and, frankly, a little ridiculous. If we only managed to do 60% of what we dreamed of, the holiday season would probably be adequately sparkly, plenty enjoyable, and sufficiently memorable.

Perspective is helpful, too. The holidays are often a ROUGH time for some folks who are ailing, have suffered a recent loss, or struggle through mental health crises that seem to peak this time of year. For those who are just trying to breathe through the month of December, I have great compassion.

Don’t let your own moments of peace and holiday magic go unnoticed, Y’all. And don’t think for one minute that you are solely responsible for everyone else’s Christmas experience. You are loved. ‘Tis the season of Jesus’s birth, the little baby born in meager conditions sent to us in human form to live a perfect life, serve as our example, and be our savior. Love and Jesus are really all we need to have a warm, snuggly, rewarding Christmas season.

This morning I sit across town from Paige, coffee in hand in front of my own tree. I am enjoying and appreciating the moment at my house just like she is at her house. Despite being down a week or so, I have managed to sift through and organize all the Amazon packages, wrap every gift, and make a few holiday goodies that my family loves. My house is clean. My husband is cute and fuzzy sitting across from me. My kids are still asleep, and the house is quiet. I think I even smell a little peppermint.

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