Here’s some much needed perspective on the holiday season. In this article, Rachel Jankovich puts into words much of what I’ve been feeling tangentially, but (quite ironically) have been too distracted with gearing up for the holidays to think through completely. This bit will give you a taste of what I mean:

…we have all heard people talk about Christmas like we all just need to get a grip. Where has our spirituality gone that we are worrying about a holiday five weeks in advance? Real Christians would celebrate quietly around the fire with some spiritual reflections, perhaps some small handmade token, or just a loving smile…..but there is one very important part of Christmas that is all too often overlooked, and it applies to everyone. Brace yourselves. . . . Christmas is the ultimate celebration of the material. Because Christmas is the time when God became man. Word to Flesh. Unfettered spirit to the hazards and joys and stresses of physical life. Think about it. Some people want to filter the material out of Christmas and morph it into some pure ethereal spirit religious day. And some people want to filter all the spiritual out of it and make it simply a holiday celebrating the purchasing power of plastic. But the power of Christmas is when spiritual and material meet. And it always has been. That is the joy of the season, that is the good news, that is the laughter and the paradox and the earth-shaking magic of Christmas. The infinite Word became a physical baby.

So go ahead: embrace the crazy. And realize that prepping for the holidays, with all it's messiness and chaos, might just be a very good way to celebrate after all.