Christmas Chaos
Christmas is utterly magical. If by magical, you mean busy, exhausting and demanding… then sure!
Okay okay, I’ll dial down the pessimism. But seriously, whilst there are snowflakes of glittery magic sprinkled throughout the holiday period, there really is a blizzard of expectations that can overwhelm the magic sometimes.
As a kid, Christmas was just the absolute greatest time of the year. We got two whole months off school, endless activities and mountains of chocolate. But, behind all the magic was my family, well, specifically it was my Mum. As an adult, I now look forward to Christmas every year to see my extended family and see the magic of Christmas in my littlest cousins, nieces and nephews. But also as an adult there are the expectations to see absolutely everybody in the precious two weeks off work, buy and prepare food,
sought the perfect gifts for every living soul I’ve met and still manage to ‘wind down’ and ‘relax’. And I am lucky enough to come from a family where everyone pitches in equally and I am still bloody exhausted by lunchtime on Christmas day!
If you come from a family where there was separation, then the Christmas expectations are doubled and twice as exhausting. I’m only new to this, but it’s next level trying to have the perfect Christmas multiple times in the same 48-hour period.
And then, there’s the grief of Christmases without a loved one we’ve lost. Or the grief of border closures separating us from those we long to see the most. Or the grief of the new in the wake of changes that seem never-ending in the last 18 months.
I guess the point of all this, is just to say. It’s okay to be exhausted. It’s okay if the Christmas magic seems a little too tough to muster up this year. Christmas is about family. Christmas is about love. It’s about being happy. So if visiting every person you’ve ever met over the holiday period is too much for you, then take some time out. Put into practice your boundaries and prioritise your self-care.
• You are allowed to have the Christmas YOU want.
• You DO NOT have to buy gifts for every person youknow.
• You ARE allowed to say “no, not today.”
• You CAN have a small, intimate holiday season.