Keep it all in perspective this Holiday season

The Holiday season is upon us with our decorated Christmas trees and glittering lights brightening up our homes. The aroma of freshly baked cookies and treats fills our kitchens and the gift-wrapping is an ongoing task as we finish up with our preparations for the big day.
There’s cooking, baking, shopping, and cleaning that all needs to be done in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day as we strive to have it all as near perfection as we can get it for our family and friends who will gather for the festivities.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to get it all right that by the time Christmas does arrive, we are ready for a good, long rest.
Too much pressure, in fact. The guests will not mind if you bake butter tarts instead of mincemeat pies, or if there are a few lumps in the gravy (just make sure there is lots of it). Nobody will mind if the socks you bought them are blue and not brown and none of the guests will mind if there is only half dozen plates of goodies instead of a dozen.
If you are having guests visit over the Holidays, they are there to see you and celebrate Christmas with you. They will be there to make new Christmas memories with you, whether it’s playing games or chitchatting around the kitchen table while the young people play with their siblings, cousins, and friends. What matters most is that the room be filled with laughter, cheer, and good fellowship.
That’s what matters and that is what people will remember most.
Of course, we all want to host the best-prepared Christmas Day possible, but don’t get overwhelmed by the small stuff. Those things usually take care of themselves anyway and are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
The staff of the Forty Mile County Commentator and Cypress Courier would like to wish all of its readers a very Merry Christmas and festive holiday season and thank all for their continued support.