Ten years ago, I would have laughed if you'd told me that one day I would slice 1/2 inch patties of cookie dough from a tube and have the nerve to call them Christmas cookies. Until just a couple of years ago, I annually devoted one entire pre-holiday Saturday exclusively to silver-polishing duty. Yes, Mary Rogers has dramatically lowered her standards for holiday perfection. I ate this year's Thanksgiving dinner, on Thanksgiving Day, in a restaurant. Gasp! When out-of-town family arrived over the holiday weekend, I had no meal planned for the 10 of us. We were going to "play it by ear". I had heard of this ear thing, but never tried it myself. I didn't have enough beds for all, but we figured it out.
Other people, who regularly just go with the flow, play it by ear, wing it, figure it out as they go, have driven me crazy my entire life. I needed a game plan, meal plans, sleeping arrangements, matching china and silver, a schedule, little matching condiment bowls for the dining table, clean place mats, Christmas bows that match the darned wrapping paper. These other people seemed so disorganized and happy and it drove me absolutely nuts. These were fine organizational skills for my career, not for a happy family.
Somehow, through magic fairy dust or complete and utter burn out, I have found my way to the other side. I wish that I could give you the magic formula, the road map, the secret answer to how you get there, but it is honestly just turning a switch in your mind. When I didn't spend hundreds of dollars at the grocery store, hours upon hours preparing the house and the perfect meal, guess what happened? Well, everybody had a much better time at Aunt Mary's house than they used to. And so did Aunt Mary. I enjoyed time playing games with my grown nephew and his dad, I slept in the next morning and let my husband make breakfast that included Spam. I sat in my robe while others made their plans for the day. It was the best time we'd spent together as a family in a long time.
The difference was that Mary, the Iron-Fisted Goddess of Holiday Order had left the building. With any luck, she won't come back for Christmas.
2 comments:
God Bless you girl. I've been making the same conversion over the last year or so, and you are so right, me being less stressed makes everyone have more fun - especially my husband. Power to the "laid back" May they continue to influence me and others, and if I slip and go back to freaking out about every little thing I'm going to picture you in your robe and SPAM on the breakfast table. That will have to bring my sanity back - or a least provide a nice smile.
I love it when women learn let go of the minutiae involved in the never-ending quest for perfection.
Rock on with your softer self!
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