It’s once again time to rip your hair out.

The Holidays are here!

Thanksgiving is three days away. Around my dinner table, I will have twelve people gathering to celebrate the holiday. The same twelve people will all be staying at my house that night. It’s the Monday before. I should be totally stressed out!

Knowing people were coming, we thought it was a good time for us to replace the carpet in the guest room that has a humongous hole in it. To do this, we had to empty the room entirely, which is something I have been dying to do. We took three trips to Goodwill with the truck bed completely full of the stuff we took out of the closet. We found out that there is no way we can have carpet installed before the holiday. Now I have a guest room with only a Murphy bed in it and a huge hole in the carpet. I should be stressing out.

We are having a traditional Thanksgiving feast with turkey, gravy, potatoes, cranberries, pie, as well as a ham and plenty of wine. Sitting around the table will be a vegetarian, someone with a bad wheat allergy, some that don’t drink cows milk. I don’t have twelve plates or forks that match! How can I set my table? I should totally be stressed.

Today as I am out for my walk, I am overwhelmed with the beauty of the season. I love watching leaves fall from the trees and the sun trying to squint between the clouds. How can I be out walking right now when I have so much to do? I should be home getting ready for the holiday because I will be working all three days leading up to Thursday. I should be totally stressed out.

Even though my house is going to be bursting at the seams for 24 hours, I am completely 100% relaxed!. I am so excited that I have this day to look forward to.

I will probably over cook the turkey and put too much salt in the gravy, but none of this matters. To me, Thanksgiving is not about the food. I am going to have twelve people all sitting around one dining room table. It’s going to be tight; it will be cozy, but we all will fit.

Thanksgiving is about the people you are with and the laughter and love that you share. It’s about playing games, sharing stories and making memories.

Everyone will eat what they want and can eat. No one will starve. The food doesn’t matter. The food is just there; the entire day is about being together with the people you care about and love. Nothing else matters.

Yes, we will have a goat rodeo for a couple of days, and I am totally looking forward to it.

Thanksgiving is about the people you are with and the laughter and love that you share. It’s about playing games, sharing stories and making memories.

Make this holiday season about the people you love and giving your heart freely. Don’t allow yourself to sweat the small stuff because you know what, it’s just stuff. It doesn’t matter. In the end, it’s the memory of the day that matters. It’s not about perfection. No one will care that the plates didn’t match or there was a hole in the carpet. This stuff is replaceable. Your family and friends, not so much.

Let go of the need for perfection this year and make it about the people. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.