Letting Go of Perfection

Frantic. Cooking. Cleaning. Chatting with family. Entertaining. Bathing kids. Doing laundry. Getting out the Christmas decor. More cooking. More cleaning.

When do we get to sit and relax? To enjoy all the hard work we put into the holidays?

The answer is now. Right now. 

It’s so super easy for me to get caught up in what I expect for myself. Guess who holds that high of a standard for me? No one else.

I’m not even hosting a big Thanksgiving this year and I still find myself in the mindset that I need to do more. Do better. Impress. Be perfect.

And I just don’t. 

I’m loved. I’m appreciated. I work hard. It’s okay for me to sit and let someone else clean the kitchen. To sip a glass of wine on the couch. To let the inlaws watch my kids without feeling guilty about how long we’ve been away. To not worry about the fact that the kids just got pjs out of a basket of unfolded laundry. That one tree has ornaments scattered on the floor around it and not on it. It’s okay. 

During this time of year, I think we moms (and women in general. Heck, maybe guys too) put so much darn pressure on ourselves to be perfect. I had a conversation with my mother-in-law just yesterday about this very thing. She reminded me of how much she misses her little ones. How her house was a mess and she doesn’t look back and regret it now that her house is spotless. How the years flew by. She was an encouragement to my tired soul as tears flowed down my cheeks. She recognized my feelings because she’s been there. She’s on the other side and she’s telling me to stop.

Perfection isn’t an attainable goal. It shouldn’t even be a goal at all. What should be the goal, is to love. To cherish the moments. To make memorable holidays, no matter who you might be spending them with. To not stress or worry about what things could be. To not be embarrassed over an undercooked turkey or a burned casserole. Have a glass of wine and cheers your guests. Life’s too short to let ourselves miss what’s right in front of us, for the sake of perfection.

So I encourage you to let go. Especially right now. Through all the holidays and company and pressure to bring the perfect dish to the party. Do what you can. Do what you enjoy. Let go of the rest.

Happy Thanksgiving eve. I hope your holiday is filled with relaxation and more joy than you thought could fit around your kitchen table!