It's the most wonderful time of the year, and families around the world are gearing up for the Christmas season. We are decorating our homes with so many lights that we are blinding astronauts on the International Space Station, we are dragging our reluctant kids to sit on Santa's lap at the mall, and we are throwing ourselves in the brutal holiday traffic to get the best deals on our holiday purchases. To say the least, such a wonderful time can end up becoming stressful.

We worry about pleasing those we are buying gifts for, and we wait in anticipation to see if our friends and relatives deliver on their gift-giving promises. We dread the awkward conversations we'll have with family members on Christmas Eve and our rage burns with the intensity of a thousand suns when someone cuts us off on the freeway. In short, we're all just balls of angst that are trying our best to keep cool.

So far, I've been observing these anxieties everyone seems to have during the Christmas season, and in my opinion, it really undermines what Christmas is all about. First of all, Christmas is the holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, which a lot of people unfortunately let slip their minds amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.

Second, it's a time to be with people that love you, and celebrate everything we do have. It's a time to be joyous, not stressed. It's a time to appreciate what we have been blessed with, not yearn for things we don't have. I think it would be a better holiday for everyone involved if we could get back to this way of looking at Christmas, and just stop trying so dang hard.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE giving gifts for Christmas. As an adult, I love giving presents more than I love getting them (even though I love receiving them, too!) Gift-giving is a great way to show people how much you care about them, and how you want to make them happy. It is a ton of fun, and I'm sure I will try to spoil my future kids rotten.

But, as fun as it is, we can't let the presents and commercialization of Christmas take away from our family and enjoying the company of our favorite people. So, this holiday season, take a moment to look around you and count all the amazing blessings you do have. For me, personally, I've been appreciating the health of my family and friends. I think about all the families who might have a relative who isn't doing well, and it makes me want to hug my own family even tighter.

I think about how lucky I am to go to a great university, have opportunities to succeed on the road ahead and the support to chase after my dreams. I think about my wonderful friends that bring me so much happiness and my beautiful house that feels especially cozy during this time of year.

To sum it up, there's a lot we already have that we should celebrate this Christmas season. Have fun with your Christmas shopping, but don't forget to slow down at the end of it all and appreciate what matters most.