How I'm Treating the Holidays This Year

If I’m being honest, the holiday season stresses me out. All the extraneous events, gobs of food and alcohol, the rampant consumerism… there’s a lot to unpack, but it all adds up to tons of pressure around the holidays to have a good time (or at least appear as though you are).

Growing up, my brother and I lived for Christmas: with a break from school, special treats around the house, and the promise of toys and gifts we’d been coveting, it was the best time of the year. But as we grew up and became adults ourselves, it became clear that Christmas, at least the tangible parts, is largely for children, and that grown-ups absorb all the extra stress (and cost) of it all.

But what about the intangibles; the thoughts and feelings we exchange during the holidays? For me, the gifts of the season are love, gratitude, and connection: the important things that mean everything to me now.

2018 has been a wild ride, to say the least: I quit my corporate career, got married, launched a business, and learned more this year than I have probably in the last several years combined. In no particular order, I’d like to thank the following people (via their companies and organizations) for their encouragement and support this year. I’m forever inspired by their work, their words, and their dedication, and I can’t recommend them enough.

Chelsea Francis
Voices of Impact
Stick With It Co.
Foster Thinking
Small Coffee
Bravely
MaggieGentry
Teddy V. Patisserie
Whiskey + Pearls
Feel Good, Dress Better
Greer Image Consulting
Laurel Kinney Personal Styling
PitchATX
Ideology Photography
Tim Walker

I’m treating the holidays as an opportunity to express my gratitude; a time to reflect on the gifts I’ve been given this year and enjoy the abundance of the season. As I told a friend not long ago, things certainly aren’t perfect, but damned if they’re not great these days.

Happy holidays, friends: how are you treating the holidays this year?