By Angie Goff
Last December I was browsing the Internet when I took the click bait and landed on a link featuring Christmas card outtakes.Picture after picture you could just feel the pain of the crying, the screaming and that struggle to get the perfect shot. Obviously the photos ended up in the article because they were downright hilarious. They were also a good reminder that some of the most memorable things that happen in life are those that don’t always go as planned.
During the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I think this is a useful message to be mindful of. I’ve found it’s especially handy in this digital age of pinning and sharing everything. This is an important time, and it’s easy for parents wanting the best for their family to feel the pressure of putting on a “Pinterest-perfect” holiday. I’m here to say: You’ll survive if you don’t, and you might be a little more sane.
Thinking back to last Thanksgiving, I can’t help but laugh at what a disaster I created when I decided to host dinner for everyone. Admitting defeat in the kitchen early, I decided to order the turkey and all the fixings. All I had to do was pick it up, heat it up and put it in some nice bowls, right? Well, I got home and decided I’d start with warming up my favorite, the sweet potatoes. I put the first container in, set the time, pushed start and with an hour before my siblings and their families were to arrive, something suddenly went wrong—the microwave broke.
This really happened. The darn thing worked for two minutes and then went dark. It left me with a cold feast that wasn’t even homemade. Good gravy. My sister arrived early and helped me run food to and from my apartment to the building’s public microwave on another floor. It took a couple hours to heat everything up, but we did it. Bottom line? After a good serving of humility, laughter and a lot of patience, we all eventually got to eat together. We have no pictures or even postings of the chaos, but we forever have an unforgettable memory.
So this holiday, here’s a challenge. How about turning that DIY into a little DEY: Go and “Do Enjoy Yourself.” Fight the urge and that pressure to perform and to please. Commit to being “in the moment” over choosing a good filter on your phone to make what you’re doing look better.
And if you get a chance, take a few seconds to think about those Christmas card photos that didn’t make the cut. It’s always a great way to forget about how things look and focus on how they feel, even for a few seconds.
Here’s to feeling this holiday for real!
Angie Goff from NBC4 and the TODAY Show Parenting Team. Do you have a good imperfect holiday story to share? Join the conversation at Today.com/ParentingTeam
