It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.

I have said this many times over the past few weeks. November through January is very busy in my house with holidays and then all of our birthdays in January, so this phrase is said! However, I don’t want the holidays to be ‘fine.’ I want the holidays to be amazing! Listen to hear some tips about being intentional this season and showing up the way you want to!

Podcast Transcript

It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine! How many times have you said this? I am sure you have seen the sweatshirts, mugs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, any kind of merchandise you can think of that has this on it. It makes me laugh because I am pretty sure 99.9% of us have said this at some point in our life. And I would like to think that this week alone we have said it even more than once or twice. Why did the holidays do this to us? I love them. I truly do. I love everything about Christmas. I love the smell of Christmas. I love being around family at Christmas. I love the smiles on my kids’ faces on Christmas morning. I love my Christmas tree. I love Christmas lights. And most of all, I love that Jesus was born on this day. So why… Why… Do we make ourselves crazy over the holidays? Here are some of the random thoughts that go through my head around the holidays. Will my kids like these gifts? Is my tree decorated perfectly? Will my neighbors like my lights? Do I have a good outfit for Christmas Eve service? All of these ridiculous questions that literally do not matter. Add in Christmas cards. Add in the perfect gift for your coworkers. Add in holidays and baking treats and everything that goes along with the perfect holiday party. Add in COVID and the flu. 

This Christmas I don’t want any of us to be “fine.” I want us to be honest. I want us to be real. I want us to be intentional. I want us to be happy with everything we’ve done to celebrate Christmas. This is not the time of year to beat yourself up for anything. What do you want Christmas to be? Be intentional with how you want your family to celebrate Christmas. Do not worry about what Suzie Smith baked for all of the teachers in the building. Sorry to everyone out there name Suzie Smith. Do not worry about your child’s perfect outfit for the programs or if they are singing or picking their nose. Do not worry about how a gift is wrapped or if you’ve been creative enough with the elf. Because guess what, chances are, these are not the things that your family or children, or you will remember. Think back to your favorite Christmas. What made it so special? Yes, it might be the one year you did get that really cool thing you asked Santa for, but do you remember what your mom wore to the Christmas program? Do you remember what was served at Christmas dinner? Probably not. My favorite Christmas memories are playing with my cousins, getting ready to go sledding outside the song our grandmother would sing as she’d get 6 of us bundled up. “Have patience, have patience, don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient, you only start to worry. Remember, remember, that God has patience too, and think of times others had to wait for you!” Granted, she sang this to us ALOT, but this is what I remember. I do remember some of the gifts, but that’s because I have pictures of them. I say this to try to give you some relief. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I am not sure when this all shifted. I don’t remember Christmas, or birthday parties for that matter being so extravagant. I saw a meme the other day that said, “ Ah, to the 80’s when a kid would blow out their birthday candles over top of an ashtray, a foot away from an open bee, while someone held a lit cigar next to their face.” LOL. Can you imagine the horror today if that happened? Please know I am not advocating for this, but I bring it up to make a point that somewhere along the lines society has made Christmas and other holidays into these huge productions. And if you love doing all of the things, then by all means, please do them! I am simply saying, if you don’t love doing them, then don’t! You get to choose how you and your family spend the holidays, not anyone else. Here is my challenge for you. I am not going to tell you to write this down because I am not going to put one more thing on your to-do list, but maybe think about this while you’re driving or wrapping Christmas presents.  

1. Where are all of the places and events you need to be this holiday season?
2. Who are you at these places? Mom, sister, co-worker, etc…
3. Who do you want to be? How do you want to be showing up? Funny, serious, nostalgic, happy-go-lucky…
4. How will you adjust if you notice you aren’t showing up the way you want to show up. 
5. Be intentional before you walk through the doors of each of those celebrations. Know exactly who you want to be and how you are going to show up. 
6. Most importantly, if you miss the mark a little bit, please, please do not beat yourself up about it. This is hard too and we all slip up. Just try again. And actually I want you to sing this song by Matthew Wilder. Apparently I am full of songs today! LOL. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna break my stride – nobody gonna slow me down, oh no, I got to keep on moving.”

So no more “its fine, i’m fine, everything is fine,” this Christmas.This is your holiday season, make it what you and your family want it to be, not what everyone else wants it to be.