I WON'T Stop Celebrating

I read an article from the Huffington Post that I feel I must respond to.  The article states that we need to "Bring the Holidays Down a Notch."  The point of the article is to make those of us who make holidays a big deal feel like crap.  That really sums it up.  The main arguments is "My kid doesn't get fancy holidays so your kid shouldn't either."

Ridiculous.

Creating activities that my kids and I can do together is one of my top priorities.  I challenge myself to see how I can make each holiday magical and fun while my kids are still young.  When I post the things I have done with my children on this blog I am not trying to "out-mom" the other moms, it is simply my way of making memories with my kids.  In turn I hope that others can perhaps be inspired by something I do.  So sorry, I'm not going to stop.

You don't think that's fair?  Tough.  I am sure that someday my kids are going to come in and tell me that Sarah Jane's mom plays basketball with her everyday.  "Why don't you do that with me mom?" they'll ask.  Well, this mom, who has aerobically induced asthma (not to mention the fact I can't hit the broad side of a barn), isn't going to run around playing basketball.  Will they be disappointed?  Maybe.  I hope that they know I love them from the MANY other things I do to prove it every day.  But I am certainly not going to run over the Sarah Jane's mom and tell her to stop playing basketball with her kid because it is making my kids feel bad.  Why do people feel they must do that to us crafty, holiday-crazy types?

What rankles me the most about this article is the downplay of other people's strengths.  Why do we feel we need to put others down for their talents?  So what if Billy's mom puts gourmet meals on the dinner table every night while at my house we are eating Mac and Cheese?  Who cares if Mary's house is perfectly spotless while mine has little piles of papers and toys strewn about the room?  Good for them.

But I don't choose to do those things.  It's not my nature.  And that's okay.

We should congratulate people on their talents and better ourselves as we learn from them.  So thank you to you foodies who share your recipes online.  Thank you to the organizers who willingly share tips with this organizationally-challenged mom.  Thank you to the comedians who make me smile.  Thank you techno-savvy people who make it possible for so much information to be at my fingertips.  Thank you doctors, lawyers, grocers, farmers, and all others who make our world a better place by giving of your time each day.  I appreciate you.  I learn SO much from you.  Don't stop doing what you're doing.

I know I won't.

*Leave me your comments.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.*

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