Even the gift-wrapping has become a team effort. In years past, I stayed up late, ensuring every corner was crisp and every bow perfectly tied. This year, I handed over the tape and let the kids wrap the gifts we’d picked out for family and friends. The paper might be wrinkled, and the bows might not match, but the pride in their eyes as they tucked their gifts under the tree was pure magic. Watching their excitement as they wait for someone to open a gift they’ve wrapped themselves reminds me that this is what the holidays are about—not perfection, but love.
The minimalist tree, the messy, delicious cookies, the slightly crooked, joyous wrapping paper—they’re all teaching me the same lesson this year: that the best parts of the holidays aren’t in the things we create but in the moments we share.
And maybe that’s the gift I’m giving myself this year—the freedom to embrace imperfection and to focus on what really matters. The glow, it turns out, is enough.
Photo Credit Ben Mullins