holidays

holidays are exhausting; filled with to-do lists, have-tos, and shoulds. but most of us, we love them. we love them even though they wear us thin, even though they stretch us to our outer limits. maybe that's part of why we love them. they become proof that not only can we get a lot done in a short amount of time, but we can feel proud of what we've accomplished. after the mess has been cleaned, and the memories have been made, 
we can look back and smile .