You are a wonder. I routinely experience similar end-of-year burnout and holiday overload. Like you, I often get sick for that last week of the year, which is especially unfair since it is typically the only week I take off. Fingers crossed that won’t be the case this year.
As for scheduling more fun after the holidays, hats off to you, but I absolutely cannot think about doing that. My goal is to hit that finish line and then collapse into a week of doing as little as humanly possible without having the entire house fall into disarray around me.
Oddly, what is most appealing to me as an activity for this year’s brief window of respite from regular routines is going through all kinds of boxes that were never unpacked after my move (10 years ago!), cleaning out junk drawers, and purging closets, etc. Call it a midwinter clear out. I think it will be good for my soul. 😆😉
Enjoy all your extra magic. It sounds delightful! 🎄❄️💜
That's not odd to me at all. I hear you leaning into the break that came for ALL people during Advent, when even the poorest workers could abandon their post and take rest. Rest (and celebration, for that matter) look different for everyone, and trust me, if I was not in the business of magic making for a Little, part of my celebration would absolutely involve pajamas, a library, and an unending supply of hot cocoa. I think, for me, it's more about knowing what you need and what would make this season feel like its supposed to be joyful instead of just busy. I hope your box clearing brings you great joy, and if not, the nap most certainly will!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday this year, with your shift in perspective. It seems like so much work. Work (as in the build up, shopping, spending, wrapping, unwrapping, dealing with someone else's delight or disappointment, the let down). I used to love it, and I also went through all of that in anticipation of my birthday, which I always regarded as the most important day of the year, not just for me, but for all those who claimed they loved me. Queen for a day? Nope. Queen for a week? Again, nope. Queen for my entire birth month? Yes. Year after year. But the last couple of years? I decided to back off. Not because I don't love my birthday, but for the fallout/let down/sadness when out of the loop of extra attention. It's so much calmer. Lowered expectations and a more balanced perspective have helped me enjoy the day, and say farewell to it when the day is done. I prefer it, actually. But kid? They should have a blast. And maybe dealing with all the parts the experience is part of understanding life and some of the things that don't yield Joy Luck feelings. xo
Merry Christmas, Jess!!! Are we coming up on two years since the retreat? We really do need to take the time (after the holidays) to get together, and not depend on random yoga classes. 🙂
Love this idea!! It is only 8 sleeps to Christmas, but I find myself dragging and forcing the motivation to finish those last minute shopping surprises. I DO love the wonder, the lights, and the joy of Christmas surrounding me everywhere I walk in NYC. How can I bottle this spirit 365 days/year?
I love that question. How to transport the experience of Christmas into the rest of the year. In some ways, I don't know that we're meant to as that might cheapen the specific joy of the holiday. In other ways, I wonder if it is the celebration part. Delighting in decorations, bright colors, whimsy. I think that's why I've always loved 4th of July fireworks. They feel a little like Christmas decorations - sparkly, bright, and magical.
You are a wonder. I routinely experience similar end-of-year burnout and holiday overload. Like you, I often get sick for that last week of the year, which is especially unfair since it is typically the only week I take off. Fingers crossed that won’t be the case this year.
As for scheduling more fun after the holidays, hats off to you, but I absolutely cannot think about doing that. My goal is to hit that finish line and then collapse into a week of doing as little as humanly possible without having the entire house fall into disarray around me.
Oddly, what is most appealing to me as an activity for this year’s brief window of respite from regular routines is going through all kinds of boxes that were never unpacked after my move (10 years ago!), cleaning out junk drawers, and purging closets, etc. Call it a midwinter clear out. I think it will be good for my soul. 😆😉
Enjoy all your extra magic. It sounds delightful! 🎄❄️💜
That's not odd to me at all. I hear you leaning into the break that came for ALL people during Advent, when even the poorest workers could abandon their post and take rest. Rest (and celebration, for that matter) look different for everyone, and trust me, if I was not in the business of magic making for a Little, part of my celebration would absolutely involve pajamas, a library, and an unending supply of hot cocoa. I think, for me, it's more about knowing what you need and what would make this season feel like its supposed to be joyful instead of just busy. I hope your box clearing brings you great joy, and if not, the nap most certainly will!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday this year, with your shift in perspective. It seems like so much work. Work (as in the build up, shopping, spending, wrapping, unwrapping, dealing with someone else's delight or disappointment, the let down). I used to love it, and I also went through all of that in anticipation of my birthday, which I always regarded as the most important day of the year, not just for me, but for all those who claimed they loved me. Queen for a day? Nope. Queen for a week? Again, nope. Queen for my entire birth month? Yes. Year after year. But the last couple of years? I decided to back off. Not because I don't love my birthday, but for the fallout/let down/sadness when out of the loop of extra attention. It's so much calmer. Lowered expectations and a more balanced perspective have helped me enjoy the day, and say farewell to it when the day is done. I prefer it, actually. But kid? They should have a blast. And maybe dealing with all the parts the experience is part of understanding life and some of the things that don't yield Joy Luck feelings. xo
Merry Christmas, Jess!!! Are we coming up on two years since the retreat? We really do need to take the time (after the holidays) to get together, and not depend on random yoga classes. 🙂
Yes please! What a wonderful thing to look forward to in 2026. Merry Christmas 🎄 Meg!
Love this idea!! It is only 8 sleeps to Christmas, but I find myself dragging and forcing the motivation to finish those last minute shopping surprises. I DO love the wonder, the lights, and the joy of Christmas surrounding me everywhere I walk in NYC. How can I bottle this spirit 365 days/year?
I love that question. How to transport the experience of Christmas into the rest of the year. In some ways, I don't know that we're meant to as that might cheapen the specific joy of the holiday. In other ways, I wonder if it is the celebration part. Delighting in decorations, bright colors, whimsy. I think that's why I've always loved 4th of July fireworks. They feel a little like Christmas decorations - sparkly, bright, and magical.