I have to remind myself of that between writing Christmas cards, buying presents (we have simplified our life by buying only for the children in our family – it’s not like the adults need more stuff), attending school concerts (I like those, the atmosphere is always very festive, and music inevitably boosts my mood), daughter telling me we need to bake Christmas cookies (I don’t need that stress in my life right now), planning her birthday party (Harry Potter this year, can’t do away with the birthday party, for sure), and various Christmas and New Year’s dinners (that’s with people, but of course it is easier on me if we get invited than if I have to do the inviting, and planning, and cooking).

So, the part I really enjoy about all of this, always, ever – is the people, the conviviality, the togetherness, the sharing. I like a good conversation over reasonably good food and wine (I am not too picky when get invited, that is a real treat in itself). Think about it – it really is about our relationships and interactions with people. The other holiday stuff we fill our lives with is self-induced stress brought on by social conventions and feelings of obligation. So it is good to pick and do that which brings us joy and satisfaction and eliminate the rest from our life (I wished I could eliminate all the chauffeuring I do for the kids in the afternoons, it makes for a very unproductive part of my day).