As I’m sitting down to write this, I confess I’m feeling stressed.
My to-do-list to get my home ready to host Thanksgiving for my family is a mile long and I’m running out of days to work on it.
I’m not a procrastinator, there have been a few (very important) things that have delayed my attention to said list but the fact of the matter is, I’m still behind.
Did I mention we were in the middle of renovating our kitchen?
Did I also mention that we are hosting our big annual fundraiser for our 20-year-old non-profit this weekend?
Anyone else feeling the strain of Thanksgiving preparation?
I love Thanksgiving and I love having my family over for such a wonderful holiday, so naturally, I want it to be ‘perfect.’
What is perfect, though? I ask myself.
When I stop stressing myself out over whether or not the crown molding is going to be painted in time, and I chill out for a hot second, I remember that what makes it perfect will be everyone being there and enjoying themselves.
That may be corny to some, but that’s what it really boils down to, doesn’t it?
I’m trying to remind myself of these three things:
Prioritize
I.e. determine what is most important. For me, as I stated above, is that all of my family can be here for Thanksgiving and everyone enjoys themselves. So simple. And this is largely determined by me and my attitude on that day. It’s my house, I set the tone. If I’m stressed, everyone will feel it. Consequently, if my attitude is gratitude, they will feel that and feel at ease. When I keep my focus on that, that is something I can work towards and it has nothing to do with whether or not the recessed lighting gets put in.
Let go of the ideal
We all have an idea in our head of how things ‘should’ be for the holidays, right? The food is supposed to taste perfect, the house is supposed to be uber clean and decorated to the nines and we’re supposed to look amazing, too! Perfection, everybody, perfection!
But you know what holidays stand out in my mind? The ones that didn’t go according to plan, the ones where something unexpected happened. Like the Thanksgiving the pecan pie filling was green. no joke! lol #PieFail Or the Thanksgiving my chunky little nephew took his first steps. sniff, sniff. I love him so much!
Perfection is boring, we must let go of the ideal and embrace… life.
Embrace the imperfections
Two Thanksgivings ago we hosted the holiday at our house with cardboard taped down in the dining room. This was because we were renovating the dining room that year and needed to protect the floor. We stopped the renovation, cleaned the place up as best we could and invited everyone over. It was an awesome Thanksgiving, the food was amazing, no one was fighting, lol and we all had a great time!
I have already accepted that my old sliding doors are not going to be finished in time before Thanksgiving, I guess I need to sit down and rationally work through what is possible to get done (without killing myself or my husband) and what I need to let go of. The food won’t taste any better or worse if I don’t have a backsplash in my kitchen, right?
I feel myself a little less stressed now than when I started writing this post. Thanks for ‘listening’ to me work through what’s important. You all are the best.
If you’re starting to feel the stress of the holiday, too, my hope is that you will be able to prioritize what truly is important, let go of the ideal and embrace the imperfections of real life. The holiday will likely be messy.. but amazing.
Blessings on your home,
Catrina
I used to think my house had to be spotless for Thanksgiving. When everyone left I had to reclean the floors, kitchen etc. I realized I was no longer super woman! Now I just focus on the food I need to cook and have fun with the family. You know what? No one ever noticed I hadn’t mopped or other things I didn’t clean! They were just happy for all the food and family fun.
Now for my funny. Husband was going to fry the turkey on a butane burner on the porch. Filled the pot with the oil only to discover we were out of butane. He brought the pit inside to cook the turkey on our stove. I am busy busy finishing my dumplings and dressing, not paying attention to him. He heated that oil, dropped the turkey in and oil boiled out and then it caught on fire!!! Shocked I just stared for a minute and then thought to turn the stove off. After using 2 whole rolls of paper towels, we cleaned the stove, counter, floor, and inside the drawers where hot oil went. He finally got the turkey cooked, the house didn’t burn down and everyone had a blast.
Told my husband I would pay him 100.00 to stay out of my kitchen on the next Thanksgiving. 😀😀
Oh wow, Karen, thanks for sharing your story with me!! I’m so glad you lived to tell the tale! lol
The holidays can be so stressful, I for one as a younger women felt it all! I think a great message is that people are almost always grateful for the invitation into your home for a holiday meal❤️Enjoy your company and let’s not forget who and what we are grateful for! One of my favorite traditions is listening to my grandkids share what they are grateful for during Thanksgiving dinner (some answers a bit silly, some are so heartfelt) ❤️
This year I pray for my son in law who is having major surgery on the Monday before Thanksgiving. Our greatest blessing will be his good health❤️
Blessings to all!
Ellen, I also love hearing what my young nieces and nephews are thankful for! Thank you for your comment and prayers for your son’s surgery. Have a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones!
My kids are busy and live out of El Paso. The last time I was able to get everyone together for a holiday the kitchen was under remodel and I had plywood counter tops. That fact has faded from the memory but everyone together has not. Thanks for reminding me. Much love and God bless
Linda, it’s so nice to know that I’m not the only one who ever hosted a major holiday in their home while a renovation was in progress, lol thank you for that! God bless you also!