Family First

Everywhere we look right now, someone is selling something. “Last chance.” “Limited offer.” “Perfect gift.” Christmas has slowly become less about the season and more about the shopping cart. And honestly? It’s exhausting. This year, I want to pause. What if Christmas wasn’t measured by how many gifts we buy, but by how present we are? What if we stopped chasing perfection and started choosing connection? The truth is, the moments we remember rarely come wrapped in shiny paper. They come from sitting on the couch with family, laughing over old stories. From sharing a warm meal. From doing absolutely nothing together—and feeling completely full because of it. Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less out of laziness. It means doing less on purpose. It means putting the phone away during conversations. Saying no to unnecessary pressure. Choosing rest without guilt. Children may forget what toys they received, but they’ll remember how safe, loved, and seen they felt. Parents may forget the dec...