The Anti Bah Humbug

The Anti Bah Humbug

John Paul Derryberry

The stretch from Thanksgiving through the New Year can feel life-reaffirming or life-draining. It depends on the time of the state of your life, the people you are surrounded by, and whether or not there are healthy interactions between these orbiting relationships. It's on my mind today as several staff, clients, friends, and loved ones can be seen wearing the holiday stress all over them. There is a desire and pressure to get it all right, so we do not dwell in the holiday blues but rejoice in the holiday cheer. It's no wonder so many of us can feel the bah-hum bugs.

I'm keenly aware of experiencing the magic of holidays again through the eyes of my little ladies, watching my 5 and 6-year-olds bound around the tree farm last Sunday, or seeing our family traditions start to take shape. Some of them are from Anne's side of the family, and some of them are from mine, but all of them becoming uniquely my family unit has been a fun thing to see unfold. To see the magic in my girl's eyes light up as we go through our holiday season rituals is to be reminded about all that is correct with life.

It's not the gifts. Even though we have allowed to dominate the holiday cycle. Don't get me wrong, getting an incredible gift causes great joy. If we really acknowledge it, it's not the gift; it's the fact that someone knows us that well. It's soaking in the first drive around town with the holiday lights on, spotting the large Christmas trees and other decorations around town. It's in the city park with your extremities freezing but your heart warming up when the lights go on, and the girls exhale pure joy.

I get it: the pressure to have the perfect holiday Instagram post. This idea is that the holidays must look good rather than be good. It is my Christmas wish that more people let go of that and embrace the people, traditions, and emotions that make this time of the year magical. That makes this time of year a reminder that our relationships are worth it. Or we move away from the relationships that are not worth it. We must remember there is magic within the holidays and the rest of the year. It's not about a gift we get; it's about how our holiday traditions focus us in a way that we must create memories.

Please do yourself a favor this holiday season. Let go of the pressure, take a deep breath, and allow this holiday season to move more authentically. And honestly, for this storyteller, the best moments have been centered around retelling my favorite holiday memories, just as with everything else in life. The year my dad had a seizure on Christmas morning, yet we still laughed all day long. That time, my youngest gave her grandpa mustard, her first joke gift. That time, Anne and I had such a terrible December; we gave each other gifts early to brighten our moods. Or the first time I listened to the Hansen holiday letter, just about the perfect holiday tradition-wouldn't change a thing about it. Those moments are life at its best, and that is what is the best about this time of the year, the humans we love and how we express it to them.

Enjoy It!