I Am Giving You Permission To Stay Home This Christmas

This Christmas, you don’t have to please anybody. You don’t need to make picture memories. You don’t have to show up somewhere you don’t want to be.

All you have to do this Christmas is be. Why? Because I said do.

I don’t know who needs to hear this. I don’t know who needs my permission right now, but I do know that some of you are already overwhelmed.

Maybe you have piles and piles of Christmas presents under the tree, maybe you’ve been done shopping for months, maybe you are planning to hit the CVS gift card rack on the way to your in-laws.

Maybe you don’t even have enough extra money to do that.

Guess what? I don’t care. Skip it. Skip the whole thing.

Stay home. Stay home by yourself, stay home with your husband, your wife, your cat, your kids.

Whatever, you have my permission to do your own thing this Christmas.

At some point Christmas got too big. Christmas became an even instead of an experience. It somehow got attached to all this dread, and fear and loathing.

At some point, we started worrying more about the coordinating ornaments on our Christmas tree instead of the hand made ones our children made for us.

At some point we started focusing on the day itself. On the perfection.

Instead of focusing on memories, instead of focusing on creating amazing times your kids and your family will never forget, sit back. Relax, and enjoy it for the sake of enjoying.

This year I give you permission to step back from manufacturing the memories. I give you permission to put your feet up.

To be happy.

Oh, and if someone gets mad at you? For putting yourself first. For not trying to make everyone in the world happy except for yourself?

For putting you and your little family first. For not being overwhelmed with all the pomp and circumstance that Christmas is so famous for these days. For focusing on your own happy.