I tried to wait. I really did, but in the end I decided that the sparkle and shine of Christmas could coexist with my scarecrows, turkeys and pumpkins. It may be a little different looking for a bit, but that’s ok.

If you could see my tree you might grin at the hodgepodge of decorations. As I worked on it this morning my heart sang at all the beautiful memories in each bauble. My eyes leaked a bit when I carefully unwrapped ornament after ornament that chubby little hands had once placed in mine.

My hat goes off to each school teacher and Sunday school teacher who went home with glitter and glue practically everywhere to bless this mom with a sweet memory. Just like the story of the misfit toys that became beautiful when a child loved them, these old beat up ornaments hold a beauty when seen through the eyes of love.

All the traditions of the season make me stop to ponder if I am creating memories that my children and grands will look back on with the same wonder. With this in mind, I just revamped my calendar. When I looked at it and felt a lot of stress wondering how I could accomplish everything, I knew something had to change. All the things on my calendar were good things, but I realized that I needed to prioritize my own family even if I had to make some difficult choices.

I didn’t cut out doing for others. I just realized once again that I don’t have to participate in every good thing. I am reminded of Mary and Martha who were both followers of Jesus. Martha was so busy trying to get everything ready for a meal that she was mad at Mary for sitting and talking to Jesus, and Martha thought Mary wasn’t doing her fair share. Jesus said that Mary had chosen the best thing, and I think choosing your family over other activities is also the best thing.

I’m so glad that I caught myself at the beginning of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season before I went into full-blown Martha mode. Now I can appreciate and enjoy my family and the traditions we experience together without feeling resentful because I’m worn out from trying to do everything.

When I think back to my holiday experiences as a child, my mamaw did the most to make the holidays special, but she focused on her family. She worked hard and was very busy, but she had time to tell us stories. She took us for walks in the woods and cooked all our favorite dishes. We cut down a tree from the farm, and it had no designer decorations. All the siblings, cousins and I strung popcorn and helped put on the few old baubles. It was a Charlie Brown tree before Charlie Brown.

These memories ground me and help me to remember that everything doesn’t need to be perfect to be special, and it’s ok to say no.