The holidays are coming, always a busier time of year at our house. In past seasons, I was often the one who hosted the family. This meant several days of housecleaning and decorating, shopping, cooking, generally prepping for the day and then a week to recuperate before doing it all again. Thankfully my sister would usually host one or the other of the bigger meals as we traded off those duties, but I still felt a certain responsibility to do more to make sure our kids and grandkids needs were taken care of. My husband pitched in where he could, but as his PD symptoms intensified, his help diminished.

Fast forward to this year. We have a daughter who doesn’t believe in celebrating Christmas, a son raising his family vegan, and the holidays have become very complicated. Last year, thanks to the pandemic, we had to celebrate differently and it gave me time to look at what really mattered. We didn’t all come together for a meal and yet we still found ways to connect. Maybe those traditions are just that, traditions that don’t necessarily meet our needs anymore?

So, for this holiday season I am going to look at starting new traditions that begin with meeting my own needs first. I will stop and take breaks when I am tired and not squish too many things into too little time. It may sound selfish, but by taking better care of me, I am more able to provide for those around me. Second in line will be my husband and then I will see how we can fit the kids into the mix. I am sure that with a little thought we can find opportunities to celebrate that allow everyone, especially me, to enjoy less stressful holidays and wouldn’t that be the best gift ever?