The Best Yes: Why My Christmas Card Had to Go

Can we all agree that The Holidays are just Holi-CRAY?! I mean seriously. Between hosting company, attending events and parties and then the shopping and the teacher gifts and Christmas Cards… and I can go on and on, but quite frankly, its stressing me out just to list them!

A few years ago, a very wise friend casually stated, “well you have to make the best yes for your family”. Huh? I inquired what she had meant- it was simple and yet totally life altering too.

She told me there was a book by Lysa TerKeurst titled, “The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands” and although I have yet to read it in its entirety, the gist is quite simple. Any yes to one thing is a no to something else.

Well when you put it that way!!! So, knowing that me committing to an early morning workout is also me committing a big fat NO to early morning quiet time (I personally love that time and it energizes me for the day), or the real struggle, extra sleep. None of these choices are wrong, it’s just important to be aware of what you are surrendering.

So, this year as I juggled the Holiday Season Demands and still tried to be a good wife and also keep up with my five kids and their crazy schedules…something had to go, it can’t all be a yes.

This year it was Christmas Cards. Gahhhhh!!! It feels like a dagger just to type it. I have been a faithful Holiday Card sender for ten years! However, every time I sat down to try to pick a picture and then a card… hours would just fly by and I would have nothing finalized. Then never mind addressing and stuffing (yes my daughter does most of that but still), and then tracking down addresses of those that have moved… I just couldn’t swing it. I mean not if I still have to like serve dinner and drive people places and stuff.

So this is my official white flag of surrender. Crying mercy, I COULDN’T DO IT ALL!! But I very much feel I made the “best yes” for my family. We have enjoyed several cozy nights and family activities and Mom is just slightly less crazy than she could’ve been. (I’ll always be kind of crazy, that’s a promise)

Happy Holidays from the Coleman Family, this is my official card!