The Holiday Hazefeatured

Get the tree, buy the presents, send the cards, buy the groceries. The holidays can be a stressful time. A lot of us seem to forget that the holidays are not about stuff. They are not about breaking the bank or buying the biggest gift for the person you love. They are about creating new memories. They are about sitting around a table with people you love. Holidays are about sharing moments with family or people who have become your family throughout the years.

I remember growing up and staying up all night just to get a glimpse of Santa. I was in that same Holiday haze. I just wanted stuff, stuff and more stuff. My list was endless and my hopes were high. Somewhere along the line I realized Santa was my dad and Christmas was about my family.

As a child, Christmas was about the sacrifice my parents made just so that I could have every single gift on my list sitting under the tree christmas morning. I always wondered why Santa wrote just like my dad but now I realize Santa was symbolic. Santa was constructed so I could get excited about something. Santa was constructed so my eyes would sparkle.

My eyes sparkle now because of something entirely different. They sparkle because my family is happy and healthy. They sparkle because my family has and always will be my number one support system. They sparkle because I have all the stuff any girl could ever want. If you asked me to make a Christmas list it would literally be blank. I just want to eat delicious food with my family and reminisce about where we have been and where we will be.

And while the holidays are intertwined with consumerism, I now see that not all holiday haze is bad. When it involves losing sight of what and who is important it can be dangerous. But when holiday haze is about losing yourself in conversations with loved ones it can be strikingly beautiful. I have never loved Santa so much. Thank you, Santa for showing me what Christmas is really about.