Holiday Encouragement for Moms

I had something totally different planned for today’s blog post but all day my mind kept wandering towards this same feeling that I was just supposed to share my heart with you today. I entitled this post “Holiday Encouragement for Moms” but really, this can be encouragement for anyone no matter the season of life you are in.

This morning my day started with me dropping the girls off to school and then I decided to head to Walmart. I had something to return and a few random things that I needed to grab and I thought it would be easiest/quickest if I could go straight from carline to Walmart and knock it out. I knew the store would be less crowded and my hope was that I would be in and out quick. As you probably guessed, 45 minutes after I arrived I found myself strolling the holiday aisles with a coffee in my hand and seemingly not a care in the world. But, there was a care - a lot of them actually and they could all be summed up under the category of mom guilt or really just plain guilt.

As I looked around and tried not to add more to my cart than what I came in for all I kept thinking was….

I didn’t decorate the house enough.

Did I buy them enough gifts?

If I grab a few more things it’ll feel more festive at home and under the tree.

Oh look more stuff to bake with and cook with and fill my kitchen with.

But, I don’t want to fill my kitchen and clutter in a house that already feels too small for us will give me anxiety.

And I know they have enough already, why am I making stuff up to buy just buy?

Are other moms worried about all this too?

I don’t even have time to be walking through Walmart where am I finding the time for everything else?

And ya’ll I kid you not, my thoughts just kept swirling until I finally decided to get the heck out of Walmart and get back home. Somehow, I only left with one random tree drink dispenser (that I really have been wanting for weeks) and the stuff I actually went to Walmart for but what I really left with was guilt and doubt and fear.

You would think that as a mom of 20 years that I would be able to fight these thoughts but alas here I find myself year after year striving for more, more more when I really just want is less, less less.

Less guilt.

Less random crap filling up my house.

Less time spent running around and filling the schedule.

Less burden and pressure to feel like every single moment this holiday season has to be magical.

Because here is the kicker….it won’t be, it can’t be and that is perfectly okay!

Life is messy and beautiful and hard and things will be thrown your way any time of the year so why place the pressure on yourself for everything to be magical everyday? That just isn’t real life mama and we have to stop with that constant pursuit of magical perfection not just during the holiday season but all year long.

I guess I am sharing this one - to remind myself of all this as I am typing to you but two - I know I am not alone and I feel like you probably need to hear it too.

I know so many of us feel this constant pressure to be all the things and do all the things. To buy all the new shiny stuff, to overfill our homes and under the trees and just have more, more, more and the older I get the more I realize that less is actually more and that slowing down and enjoying the things we are doing is much more fun and healthy than checking a long list of things we were all half enjoying or not even enjoying.

This holiday season I want to challenge you to write a list of must do’s. What are those traditions that everyone looks forward to all year long, those non-negotiable things…those are the things you need to lean into more and spend the time and money doing. Maybe even ask your family, what are things we do you love and things you think are unnecessary? I think you would be surprised that your family is just as tired as you are.

Remember, you don’t have to create over the top crazy moments and buy everything you see to make the season special. Let it go. Enjoy the moment and remember that you are an amazing mom and that your kids are happy when you are happy!!! That is the actual magic, the joy and true happiness that you can all find when you slow down and enjoy what you are doing.

My prayer this holiday season is that you not only take time to slow down but also that you would take time to reset expectations and take the pressure off yourself. I am going to be doing the same as well. I pray that this season would bring joy and time well spent with our families rather than hustle, debt and fatigue because we tried to do it and be it all.

I am cheering for you and walking the road alongside you, we got this!!!!