The idea for this post came from my cousin, Jen. Her suggestion came at a time when I was running out of ideas, so she saved me from writer’s block and/or writing about something lame. Thanks, Jen! She might guest-write a post for me one of these days, so be sure to check back!

The holiday season is underway! Even though we had been invited to feast with others for Thanksgiving this year, my family and I chose to stay home with just each other. It was quieter than usual, but still nice. In the morning, the kids and I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, while sipping hot chocolate topped with some whipped cream and eating fresh, hot, cinnamon rolls.

Later that evening, we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner together. So much yummy food and just enough leftovers for the next day!

And so, the dust of Thanksgiving has settled. The bottles of sparkling cider have been drunk. A number of us have likely put on a few pounds. The crazy Black Friday sales have passed. Just when it feels like things might be quieting down, nope, here comes Christmas.

Christmas! There’s something so magical about it! Where Thanksgiving feels fairly low-key for me, Christmas feels a bit more energetic and lively. There’s the frenzy of shopping for gifts (and now even buying things online feels frenzied), the cold weather biting right into your skin, the build-up of joy and anticipation as December 25th approaches, and the blessed reason of the season. This year, Christmas will be different than years past, but I hope it will still be full of wonder, joy, and merriment for my children.

So, back to the opening of this post and my cousin’s idea. She suggested that I write about the best and worst things about the holidays. I’m going to take it a step further and write about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the holidays. Here goes nothing.

The Good: The Hope. This is the best thing about the holidays. The feeling that things will be better. The idea that something amazing can happen. The joy of people experiencing excitement. The wondrous blessings of God. The whirlwind of activities. The hopeful anticipation of happiness. Hope is so light and buoyant; it gives life a little more possibility. Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and Christmas is definitely all about hope.

The Bad: The Pressure. There’s a lot of pressure in making sure Christmas is “just right.” I first felt this pressure when I became a parent. All of a sudden, creating joyous holiday memories for someone else became part of my unending list of things I had to achieve as a mom. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas so it’s really not too bad a task, but the pressure is real. I am really so grateful that my kids aren’t spoiled, especially since it feels like nothing has been going right this year.

The Ugly: The Aggression. People have gotten really aggressive when it comes to the holidays. Neighbors trying to out-do each other with completely over the top Christmas light displays on their roof and in their yards. It’s enough wattage to run a small, remote village somewhere in Africa. Complete strangers violently fighting over a TV during a Black Friday sale, while their young children look on. There’s no holiday spirit in any of that. It’s ugly.

What are your favorite and/or least favorite things about the holidays? I wish you all a joyous season, whatever it is you celebrate! May you have a full stomach, good health, a blessed spirit, and a happy heart.

As always, thanks for stopping by. ❤