What We Can Agree On This Holiday Season
Because there's already enough disagreement out there, am I right?
Now, listen, I’m not trying to come in here being a Bossy Betty - but there are just a *handful* of things I think we can collectively agree on about the holidays.
Some may be a little bold for your tastes, I get that. And I mean, can I be swayed? Absolutely. (When you’re a people pleaser how tightly do you actually hold these “convictions”? Not. Not tightly.) Before you set out to change my wayward thoughts, let’s first start with an open mind. What might startle you at first could actually start a - I’m going to say it - new tradition. Or kill an old one. The choice is yours, the options are endless!
Anywho, let’s break it down in chunks, shall we? Here’s What To Know, What To Ignore and What To Try this holiday season.
What We Need To Know
As an aforementioned people pleaser - the holidays have the ability to give me hives. More like emotional hives, know what I mean? Everyone needs to feel included. Everyone needs a gift. The gift has to be thoughtful and in a respectable price-range. Everything we do has to be ultra-magical so the kids (and anyone who sees the highlights on IG) think I’m an amazing mom and Ryan finds himself thinking, “What an incredible wife I’ve got myself,” as he drinks egg nog in the glow of the took-me-four-hours-to-put-up Christmas tree.
The bottom line that took me entirely too long to figure out? It’s not worth it. I’m not going to be great at anything if I’m trying to do everything. If I truly do want to be a great follower of Jesus, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, employee, student…I have to do what only I can do instead of setting personal expectations based on what everyone else is doing.
Here are my Christmas commitments this year:
I won’t create pressure where it doesn’t have to exist.
I will lean into the moments that create memories instead of forcing memories into every moment.
I will call out the lie that my Christmas has to look like yours and instead celebrate your traditions without feeling like I have to make them my own.
I will forgive myself for forgetting to move the dadgum Elf.
Regardless of the season, as the old adage/thing I read on the internet says: It is what you make it. But maybe this year, we just make it what fits our unique, specific season of life instead of wishing it was anything else. You’re right where you’re supposed to be. Wishing you were anything or anywhere else steals the growth that can be found right now.
Moving right along, to the more dramatic portion…here’s what we can ignore.
What To Ignore
I took this one to the people. So don’t come at me if you disagree. Come at the people.
Over @notmpodcast, I asked what your most unpopular Christmas opinion is…and it got real spicy. But this is where we find the middle ground. Together, we’ll produce an approved list of things we can ignore if we so choose.
Because these are our holidays and we can ignore if we want to. Or something like that.
The first, and most obvious conclusion, came from myself: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is not that great. Poor Clark is obviously a fellow 2 on the Enneagram with his intense desire to please (i.e. the lights, all the family at his house, the sledding and such), but it feels painful for me to watch. HE’S SO SAD. Wait. Am I sad?! Surely not. You guys would tell me, right?
Speaking of movies, ya’ll had some opinions. Here are your “to be ignored Christmas movies”:
Polar Express - But that Hot Chocolate song hits right, doesn’t it?!
Christmas Story - Okay, I hear you. I think it’s more about the memories tied to watching the movie than the movie itself. Maybe? We keep it on all day on Christmas Day.
Claymation Christmas Movies - These are the worst.
The Grinch (Jim Carrey’s version) - I can not fully approve ignoring this. I can approve the excessiveness that is Jim Carrey, though. See, middle ground.
And I quote, “All Christmas movies are overrated.” - Ok. Well.
Egg nog, candy canes and the overall concept of Santa also took a hit. We really knew no limits with our feelings toward the holidays. Coming for Santa?! It’s a bold move. But egg nog and candy canes? Understandable.
One in particular made me pause. More on it in What We Need To Try.
What We Need To Try
“Christmas Eve is more exciting than Christmas Day.”
You know what it is? Anticipation. One of the only times uncertainty is tinged with joy. What a paradox.
What if all of our waiting was like this? What if we allowed our waiting to be colored by hope?
The job offer. The plus sign on a pregnancy test. The proposal. The raise. The new house. The healing. The next season. What if all of it - or maybe just some of it - was shaped by believing in what God is working instead of how long we’ll be waiting?
The weary world rejoiced at a thrill of hope thousands of years ago. For us, now, it’s no longer a thrill of hope…we’re invited into a life of hope. Every hard thing will be redeemed.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
This week, try this. Write down three hopes: one for your heart, one for your everyday and one for someone else. Pray over them through the end of the year. That’s only 26 days. Pray with anticipation. Holy expectation. He’s not done.
Also, you should for sure try an air fryer. I paused writing this to make dinner and I put seasoned raw chicken in that bad boy and it was done in SIXTEEN MINUTES. Talk about Christmas miracles.
Welp, that’s all I’ve got this week. I hope it brought you a little bit of joy and maybe something to carry with you. Even if it’s that Jim Carrey wrote a children’s book about a wave, Roland Rolls. You are welcome.
