I read a meme the other day that said, “A reminder that in the upcoming weeks, you’re probably going to see a lot of people posting their highlight reel of the year. It’s ok if your biggest accomplishment this year was simply surviving.” It hit me like a ton of bricks.

This year was rough for so many. Tough markets. Health issues. Career changes. It seemed like every time I turned around in 2023, there was hard news for those I know and care about. I can definitely say that this year is one I cannot wait to put in the history books.

And now here we are at the Holiday Season. There are social gatherings and gifts and loads of sugary treats and expectations of travel and wishes of joy and peace and…. just all the things. And while this time of year may be a time to reconnect with friends and family, for some it is not easy. In fact, it may be much more stressful than relaxing and much more sad than joyful.

I have a confession. Since becoming an adult, I have not been crazy about Christmas. All the expectations (decorations, baking, clever gifts, traveling to see family, that damn Elf on a Shelf) have for many years given me a new level of anxiety that sets in right before Thanksgiving. I find myself in a “funk” every December. In fact, the only thing I can say that I really found solace in for many years about the holiday season was the lights – on trees, on houses…or just anywhere. Well, that and going to work.

Yes, I admit it. I am the person who enjoys working the week between Christmas and New Year. It is the most productive week of the year when it comes to cleaning out and wrapping up. It is when you finally get to all those projects that have been on the back burner due to the every-day fires that have to be put out. And, if I am being honest, it is often an escape from all the other seasonal trappings that stress me out.

I have friends who love Christmas, and I love that they do. I am certainly not a “Grinch” who wants to steal others’ joy. In fact, I take great pleasure in finding the perfect gifts for my children, my partner and my closest friends. And I enjoy watching Christmas Vacation with my father-in-law, who knows every line by heart. But I am also the first to admit it is not my favorite time of the year.

I am curious if any of my colleagues in the industry feel the same way? Maybe my feelings about the holidays were somehow molded by the career that I chose. After all, the work of those in the animal protein industry doesn’t stop just because people want to celebrate the holidays – animals must be cared for, feed must be delivered, harvest plants must run and all of it must be transported to keep grocery stores and foodservice establishments stocked up.

My roles in the industry have changed a lot since I started. When I was working in the law department, I rarely needed to work over the holidays. (Except the year that the cow stole Christmas…that was a doozy!) But my colleagues at the plants did. And in later years, when I was working in procurement, it made me feel good to be able to fill in and give others time off. As jobs move farther from the farm and plants, it is common for offices to close or run with a skeleton staff between Christmas and New Year. (Though it is a well-established and respected unwritten rule that if anyone needs us, we are on standby and will jump in at a moment’s notice.)

So, whether you are reading this on Christmas morning while taking a break from food, family or festivities, or the day after Christmas because you had to be back at the office to hold the fort down or even January 2^nd when most of the world will be back to work, I hope your holidays are everything that YOU want them to be. If that is a wildly raucous celebration with loads of family and friends, wonderful. If it is a reflective time alone or with a small, close group, fantastic. And if it is business as usual, that is awesome, too. You do you and don’t apologize or feel guilty. No one said you must be as hap-hap-happy as Bing Crosby tap dancing with Danny f-ing Kaye. (Sorry I couldn’t resist.)

I will be enjoying the fact that all my kids are under the same roof for a few days. It won’t always be this way and, after all, we survived 2023 and all its challenges. That alone is a reason for some sort of celebration.

But I say, bring on 2024!

Christmas isn't always a vacation

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