As the kitchen warms up from the heat of the oven, scents of vanilla, butter, and sweet, sweet sugar filling the air, I feel my heart expanding.
Making Christmas cut out cookies is one of my favorite holiday traditions, and always has been.
In the years of making them with my own kids, though, it felt like another “thing to do.” Buy the supplies. Find the cookie cutters. Make the time.
It was yet another line item on the never-ending list of things you’re “supposed” to do to add to the holiday magic.
And even though I loved it—the creativity of it, the smells, and the artistry in my kids’ decorating—I still rushed through it, because life felt like this:
Get the tree. ✅
Send the holiday cards. ✅
Make the cookies. ✅
Being a parent and an artist and a business owner was challenging. There was rarely a time when I didn’t feel like I could be doing more in each area—and like I wasn’t truly successful in any of them.
But today? My two amazing kids have kids of their own, and I get to be CiCi (ahhhhh deep breath!), grandma to three incredible grandchildren.
Today, I GET to make Christmas cut outs with these three magnificent kiddos.
I watch in wonder as they crack the eggs, spilling from the bowl to the counter. As they roll out the dough and flour falls to the floor. As they experiment with the red, yellow, and blue food colorings to see how they can make any color of the rainbow they desire for their frosting.
Cookie day isn’t another thing to cross off a list. It’s a memory I get to make with tiny, unencumbered humans who truly know pure joy.
It took years to get to this place—and those decades of checking things off the list and being the magic maker? They weren’t for naught.
This holiday season, I wish you many moments of childlike joy.
Of presence; of gratitude.
Of letting go of the “shoulds” and being able to enjoy what you get to do.
As I shared in this year’s holiday card:
May your holidays be sprinkled with laughter,
frosted with happiness,
and shared with the ones you love most.
Happy holidays, from my heart to yours.
How lucky are we to have kids in our lives… kids, whose curiosity is boundless; whose creativity is unencumbered; whose compassion is without spite.
The childlike wonder I wish for everyone isn’t something even every child can experience. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I can personally attest to the vulnerability and trust that makes childlike wonder possible, and how quickly that can be lost when a defenseless child is abused.
This (and every) year, the Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes is near and dear to my heart, and—if you’re willing and able—you can join me in making a real difference by supporting the work they do there to support victims through a tax-deductible contribution before year end.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." — Nelson Mandela