Confession: I’m wildly unprepared for Christmas

Hi Friends,

I have a confession: I don’t think I’ve ever been less prepared for the holidays. I’ve bought absolutely no gifts, put up zero decorations, baked not a single cookie and attended not a one holiday party.

Am I boycotting? Playing Scrooge? Not intentionally. But this year has felt a little like a runaway train, and the holiday season just gathered momentum as it went, until suddenly I was hanging on for dear life and now, here I am, staring down the barrel of T-minus four days til’ Christmas.

And since I’m already telling the truth, I’ll admit that as of last night I had absolutely no idea what to write to you today. I look forward to these weekly newsletters as a way to connect, share ideas, inspire wine adventures, and (hopefully) make you smile. I’m usually pretty organized about them. This week… not so much.

Maybe the goal of today’s note is just to raise my hand and say: Damn, that went fast, and all I want for Christmas is to curl up in my sweatpants by the fire and do literally nothing. With an excellent bottle of wine, of course.

I’m good at a lot of things, but doing nothing is not one of them. I’m highly productive and famously bad at saying no. I start the year with big dreams and boundless energy, and by the time December rolls around, it can feel like I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for twelve straight months. Anyone else?

The holidays are supposed to be a time to cozy up… to relax, restore, and reflect on the blessings in our lives. But somewhere between the push to purchase, decorate, gift, bake, host, stream, and generally make merry, the “restore” part tends to get drowned out.

Our reading of A Christmas Carol

This past week, I helped produce a staged reading of A Christmas Carol in Old Town (yet another irresistible idea I said yes to). It was a lot of hours, but deeply fulfilling ones. Hearing Dickens’ own words about social injustice and generosity, set against the backdrop of one of Portland’s most disenfranchised neighborhoods, was poignant in a way I didn’t fully anticipate.

It reminded me of how much I actually have to be grateful for.

I have two parents and a brother I love dearly and get to see often. I have a restaurant that is never easy and constantly stresses me out (but aren’t children supposed to do that?), and a team inside it that I adore more than I can put into words. I have incredible friends, a roof over my head, and two cats that I may actually be clinically obsessed with.

And this year, I realized that I don’t want to spend the holidays so busy worrying about what I’m supposed to do—gifts, decorations, cookies, trees—that I forget to actually be present for the blessings already here.

So if you thought we were going to end this note with wine recommendations… sorry not sorry.

Today is just about honesty, in the hopes that, if you’re also feeling behind, overwhelmed, or quietly exhausted this holiday season, you feel a little less alone reading this. Consider this your permission slip to let go of the “required” holiday checklist and -- from now until January 1st-- do whatever makes you feel cozy and restored.

I’m personally looking forward to leisurely walks, kitty cuddles, long baths, and maybe a holiday movie or two (I can’t be a total Grinch)

And before I sign off…thank you. Truly. I’m grateful for you, dear readers, this week and every week. Thank you for showing up, reading along, and giving me a space to do what I love while I continue figuring out what that looks like.

Wishing you the coziest, most restorative Christmas yet.

Cheers,
Kelsey