I went to the grocery store yesterday, and the isles were full of Christmas stuff already. At first, I was frustrated because I couldn’t find the candy corn I needed for my daughter’s school Halloween party, but then it got me thinking. How do my family and I want to spend our time over the holidays this year?
Writing your own story
My husband and I have recently talked about wanting to “write our own story.” In the past, we’ve always just done what others wanted over the holidays, and we needed a change. Don’t get me wrong, we love seeing family and friends over the holidays, but we needed some time for just our family too.
Family traditions
Over the years, we decided that Christmas morning would be just for our family. We also wanted to make sure we had time for the traditions that were important to us, like cutting a Christmas tree down together. To have time for everything would mean we would have to say no to some things, and that’s okay.
It’s okay to say no to invitations
I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to say no to invitations over the holidays and to be understanding if someone says no to your invitation. We all need to pay attention to what fills our cups, and this looks different for everyone. Whenever we have too many things planned as a family, I don’t enjoy myself. I get overwhelmed, stressed out, and I feel empty. I would end up not talking to many people at events and dreaming about my bed. Not because I didn’t want to be around those people but because I had nothing left to give.
Conclusion
I don’t want to go somewhere when I have nothing left to give. I want to enjoy myself and the people around me. To do that, I need to say no sometimes. Our family needs to say no sometimes, and that’s okay. The holidays do not need to be a stressful time. Just because everyone else is running around to 50 different events doesn’t mean you need to. Do what is right for you and your family. Take some time for yourself over the holidays too.