finding magic in the mess

The holidays are a perfectionism minefield. My expectations always need radical reality-checking this time of year and that normally comes in the form of a total meltdown. The good news is that I often have a lot more fun on the backside of my breakdown when I start letting go and leaning into the crazy. 

As I think about my own life and reflect upon what many of the people around me are going through this Christmas, it's clear that struggle doesn't take off for the holidays. The gremlins don't go on vacation. Checks bounce, chemotherapy appointments are scheduled, relationships keep unravelling, being alone feels even lonelier, and the "never enoughs" are in full swing. 

As I prepare to spend the next week with my big, wonderful, crazy family, I've decided to find my holiday magic in the mess; to practice love and gratitude with the special group of folks who keep showing up and loving me, not despite my vulnerabilities, but because of them. 

Wishing you a blessed mess and a Wholehearted 2012!