I revisit this piece by Samm Davidson from 2022 every Christmas because my God does it still ring true. She writes: “It’s 10pm on a mid-December night and I finally rest my head on the pillow. I am exhausted, but I can’t sleep — not yet. Because the moment my eyes close it starts: the automatic and instinctual mental checking of all the boxes. The holiday season to-dos, the worries, the plans, and the don’t-forgets — all jingling around in my brain while my husband snores a slow-tempoed symphony just six inches away. I love the holidays, but they also stress me the f*ck out. Because while Santa’s list is long, a mother’s holiday list is even longer. And as planner, orchestrator, and manager of all of my family’s yuletide cheer, I am kind of losing my mind.” When I start to feel like I’m losing it, I read this piece and remember I’m not alone, the holidays are magic but that’s because we make the damn magic, and it’s more than OK to give yourself a lot of grace. |
