Dancing Between Do-Nothing Days and Do-It-All Kids

How do you celebrate holidays?

Holidays are like surprise gifts—sometimes you get exactly what you wanted, sometimes you get socks, and sometimes you don’t know what to do with either. For me, how I celebrate depends largely on who’s around and how many days I get to breathe without alarms or emails nagging me awake.

On the dream side of things, I imagine being a proud couch potato. Yes, stretched out like royalty, armed with snacks, a blanket, and a remote control that feels like a magic wand. As the saying goes: “Sometimes doing nothing is the most productive thing you can do.” Sadly, reality often interrupts with little humans (a.k.a. my kids) demanding adventure.

So, the couch dream takes a back seat, and the holiday turns into an expedition. Outings with my children are a mix of joy, chaos, and the occasional existential crisis in a crowded ice-cream parlor. Visiting my native is another kind of holiday—like plugging myself into a charger of memories, nostalgia.

I believe holidays aren’t about what you do, but how you feel while doing it. You can be on a mountain top and still feel stressed, or be in pajamas on your sofa and feel like you’ve conquered Everest.

“A holiday is not a place; it’s a pause button on life’s fast-forward.”

And maybe, just maybe, we all need to redefine holidaying. Instead of cramming activities like tourists chasing checklists, why not sprinkle moments of silliness, laughter, and guilt-free laziness? After all, kids won’t remember which monument they saw—but they’ll remember you dancing like a lunatic in the living room.

💭 Thought to ponder: Holidays aren’t about escaping life; they’re about making life worth coming back to.