When I was growing up, holidays were a huge deal. There were multiple houses to get to in one day, huge meals to devour, presents to open, cousins to play with, and merriment to be had. Along with all the fun came drama. Someone always ended up crying and more than likely my mother would yell at us about something. The stress of putting on a perfect holiday was enough that you could literally feel it like a cloud over the whole atmosphere. As I have gotten older, holidays have taken on a whole new meaning.

I have continued some of the family traditions as I have grown up. Every year my mom got us a new ornament to put on the tree. My husband and I have decided to do the same. We buy each other an ornament and those, plus the ones from my childhood, are the only ones that go on the tree. As our relationship grows and develops, so does our tree.

We also exchange stockings. It was a huge deal to do stockings as a kid and it is still a huge deal to me as an adult. There's something about pulling candy and a new toothbrush out of a sock that just means a lot to me, I guess.

That is pretty much where the similarities end. We don't prepare an extravagant meal. We usually don't even get dressed. Growing up with the holidays being nothing but stress has truly taught me the importance of relaxation.

All year we get so caught up in the day to day stress of life. Work, school, family, friends, relationships, and being social consume our every waking hour and we forget to take time to appreciate ourselves. We forget to appreciate those that we love. We forget what the holidays are actually supposed to be about.

I know it sounds cheesy, but it's not about the stuff. It's about the people. Last year my family and I celebrated Christmas about a week later. We had a simple meal, did a few gifts, and played a game. That's really all I wanted. Spending time with my family, even if it is just a few hours, means more to me than any material object ever could.

So when my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, the true answer is that I want a day for the two of us (and our Kesha girl) to go home and spend time with the ones that we hold dear.

Maybe this is corny. Maybe this doesn't even make any sense. I don't know. All I know is that the older I get, the more I appreciate the simple holidays where I just curl up with my best friend and my fur child and watch a movie.

Happy Holidays, everyone. Enjoy every minute of it.