Slow Down! It's the Holidays.
Creating a quieter rhythm after decades of festive hustle.
Saturday, I found myself rewatching a news clip of a 40-car crash on I-70 near Terre Haute, IN—no fatalities, just a whole lot of people moving too fast on a day when slowing down might have saved them the trouble. It made me pause longer than I expected. I even texted the image to a few friends.
If I am being honest with myself, I realized why this story tugged at me. The holiday season used to bring out the same rush in me. When I moved to Indiana, I was on the interstate driving to the Chicago suburbs for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our holidays were spent with family there. The decorating, shopping, cooking, hosting and clean-up was a whirlwind at my grandparent’s house for years. It was great!
A decade later, my home became the gathering place for my mom, my nieces, and my nephew. My son and I decorated our tree with tiny reminders of our Disney World summers. I hid presents every year, waiting for a quiet moment I could wrap them and slide them under the tree. We filled the house with our favorite holiday music, took photos, ate good food, and made memories I wouldn’t trade for anything.
After several decades of doing it all, the pace eventually felt like too much. While I don’t regret a single tradition, I felt the need to make changes. Not in a bah-humbug, Grinch sort of way, but in a a cozy, relaxed, no fuss way that feels right for where I am in life right now.
It doesn’t feel like a loss, it is a natural turning of the page. I am the most surprised by the unexpected calm of this new rhythm. I still enjoy the sparkle of the season, but now it comes without the pressure of trying to create the perfect experience for everyone. I can linger with a beverage, decorate a smaller tree, skip the wrapping marathon (gift cards, anyone?), and focus on the reason for the season.
It’s not a production and not a performance. Now my holidays are a time of connection, reflection, and the joy that comes from slowing down.
And I know I’m not the only one. Many of us reach a stage where our traditions evolve—not necessarily because we want them to, but because life shifts around us. Families grow or shrink. There’s comfort in recognizing that the holidays can still be meaningful even when they’re not as busy as they once were.
How about you?
I’d love to hear how your holidays have changed over time—what you’ve kept, what you’ve let go of, and what you’ve come to appreciate this season. Feel free to share in the comments. Your reflections may be just what another reader needs to hear.
I spent the holiday at the casino with a friend. We didn’t cook and we ate dinner out and returned home with no regrets. One of my nieces went to Tokyo. Not having a traditional family now dictates what I can do for the holidays and I can have new adventures.
Last year I was recovering from a total knew replacement. No cookies, limited decorations. And we all lived through it. Hated being limited but lived the low stress. I'm mobile this year but still limiting "requirements" so I can enjoy the holidays.