If you can whisk though the Thanksgiving family dinner, go shopping the day after in search of that ‘just perfect gift’ for Christmas, and coast until the next big holiday gets here, then you are one of the minority. The rest of us need time to recuperate from Thanksgiving.

Family get-togethers are great but if you are the cleaner of the house, the baker of pies, the table setter, the snacks-before maker, the cooker of dinner, the cleaner-up after and then the sandwich maker before bedtime – well, great is not the correct word for your experience. Tired or grateful-it’s-over-for-another-year might be more apt.

Why do you think we put all this pressure on ourselves? I think it’s mostly out of love for our family but then too, it’s expected, right? Mom is supposed love this tradition of work, work, work.

Yes I hear all of you saying,“It’s not that big a deal for once a year.” Let me say to you that it is a big deal. It is a lot of love put out and a lot of sweat and effort, and when was the last time you said to this person that does all the work, “good job!” or “thank you” accompanied with a hug or (and this is a big one) “let me cook next year.”

Lots of families do this big dinner celebration as a potluck. Good idea!

Lots of families do this big dinner at a restaurant.

That’s fun, too.

And lots of families trade off (daughters and daughter-in-laws and sometimes cousins step up to the plate.)

Well, if you can’t be the one to step up to the plate this year, when it’s time for the next big holiday dinner for the family, volunteer. Make the pies or bring snacks for the before time. Or volunteer to do the clean-up while the cooker person visits. (Okay I know this is hard on the cooker to just sit, but you could get used to it, couldn’t you?)

So, this is the plan. For Christmas dinner, delegate the pies and snacks and simplify dinner. Who needs two kinds of potatoes (white and sweet)? Two kinds of salad (green and fruit)? Two vegetable dishes (corn and string beans)? Two kinds of bread (white and banana), or two kinds of pickles even?

I vote for to simplify and having energy left over to enjoy the people and holiday. What do you vote?

Comments?Email Donna at welltoldtales@aol.com.