***This isn’t a husband slam post. Most of the stress I experience, I put on myself with my overly type-A personality. Austin is more than willing to help if I ask*** Yesterday (after a great day of celebrating Christmas on Saturday with my family) I started ugly crying to Austin about all the pressure that comes with “mommin’ during the holidays.”
Moms. We are responsible for picking out gifts for everyone, wrapping them, making sure they get to all the right parties, meal planning for what dish we have to bring to every party, making sure we have the right ingredients for said dishes, multiple trips to the grocery store if you are as disorganized as me, and making sure all family members have 18 decently festive outfits to wear for all the celebrations. We do this in addition to maintaining our normal life and it’s hard. A season that is supposed to be full of all things merry and bright, can quickly feel dreadful and overwhelming. This year it wasn’t even about prepardness. I’ve been done with my shopping and wrapping weeks ago. I have all my ingredients for dishes. I think I’m ready? Despite being prepared, now that it’s time to enjoy it all, I feel drained. Probably in part because I’ve been focusing on the wrong things. Simplify Christmas, celebrate Christ. Cliche and perfect. When I focus on Christ it doesn’t matter that I’m using wrapping paper from last year that isn’t super cute, or that all of the gifts for my kids were from Craigslist (not to mention the fact Jade basically got nothing), or that I hate baking/cooking and I bring the same thing every year. Nothing besides the baby in the manger matters and I hate to think I’m missing out on the miracle. So... Husbands to moms. Hang in there and offer to help. Wrap gifts. Rock babies. Make food. Chocolate helps. So does giving alone time to your wife to do non-Christmas tasks and self-care. Thank you Austin for doing all these things and trying to understand my heart. The mental exhaustion of being a mom and keeping all of the expectations and the expectations we tend to put on ourselves straight is insane. Moms. Find quiet moments to take in the joy and miracle of Christmas. Read the Gospels and listen to their accounts of the story. Watch your kids play. Ask for help with all the tasks. Better yet, simplify the tasks, learn to say no, and acknowledge the perfection we see on social media doesn’t always mean happiness. Buy GFS sugar cookies instead of homemade, the pre-made frosting with tips in a can is brillant. Skip Christmas cards this year, or make a budget and stick to it so you don’t feel financially burdered. The baby in the manager, it’s too special and significant to miss. It changes everything.
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Hi! I'm Haley. Archives
May 2019
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