E7 What’s One Word That Will Make This Your Happiest Holiday Yet?

Hello Mama who is already dreading the overwhelm that comes with the holidays…

Welcome to Episode 7 of MomVision. 

This is the second episode in a three-week series called Cultivating Calm this Christmas 

I’m going to talk about how to cultivate calm throughout this season so you can have a Christmas you actually enjoy. 

Let me tell you a story…

Several years ago, two of my four daughters were home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The days of everyone being home under one cozy roof were over. 

I was holding on tight to whatever I could, including our beloved time-honored non-negotiable Christmas traditions. One of those traditions was cutting down our own Christmas tree. 

“Hon, are you sure this is the right thing? It’s awfully early…the tree will be dead before Christmas…and the weather is getting pretty bad,” my husband had the nerve to utter. 

“What are you talking about? If you think I’m giving up cutting down the tree this year, you’re wrong. We are cutting down the tree TODAY!” I responded. 

My husband continued his campaign to stop this nonsense. I dug in my heels further. 

There was a lot of emotion, spoken or not, swirling around that minivan as we drove toward the tree farm. 

There was also a little problem…and it was unnerving even to dogged and determined me. It was getting dark. And the weather was rainy and even a little icy. But we had come too far to turn back now. 

“Mom, I have to get back home soon. I have a paper due on Monday and my ride is leaving early tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, hon, the weather’s getting worse. I think we need to turn around.” Said my husband.

Maybe it was time to turn back. It was actually sleeting as we continued on this pitch-dark road.

“Oh wait, right there, on the left.” 

There was no farmer or sales clerk or tree tie-er upper. It was a pretty bleak little tree farm. With a quick phone call we were told we could leave our money for the tree in a mailbox outside the barn. 

The rain turned to driving sleet, the wind whipped through the tree farm, it was dark, freezing…it was ridiculous. My husband insisted I stay in the warm car, while my family trudged through the icy field holding a flashlight. 

After about 15 minutes, my family returned cold, drenched, and in surprisingly good spirits. They were laughing as they sputtered,

“Mom, you don’t want one of those trees! They’re way too small and we’re way too cold. We can’t see a thing!”

So what’s the moral of this little story? 

Say no! Say no to the unnecessary extras during the holidays that add stress. And you’ll be saying yes to a happier holiday season!

I’ve got a challenge for you mama. 

What will you say no to this year? 

Take inventory of all you do to make Christmas perfect. Write down a list of “all the things.” Then choose one or more things you won’t be doing this year. 

Come join me over on Instagram @elisedalyparker and let me know your no. 

Oh Lord, thank you that you never tire of teaching us even in the midst of our stubbornness. Help us Lord to keep our priorities straight. Christmas really is about you, Jesus, and your humble birth. Show us how to let go of the traditions and to-dos that we believe are essential but really aren’t. Give each mama praying this prayer an idea of a no that she can say that will bring her greater joy and peace this holiday season. I ask this in Jesus’ name amen!