Relief

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I was walking out of Barnes & Noble today.  Not only because it was a madhouse in there and I was lucky to have escaped unscathed, but also because my Christmas shopping is officially done.  I'm a terrible holiday shopper.  I always wait until the last minute, and then agonize over getting the "perfect" gift for each person.  The logical part of me knows that, given my budget and time constraints, the "perfect" gift is impossible, not to mention the "perfect" gift isn't always necessary.  However, the idealistic, slightly perfectionist, side of me insists on getting just the right thing for everyone...or at least as close as possible.  This has been our first full year on a single income, so shopping seemed even more challenging than usual, but even so, I feel like I did the very best I could.  And for the time being, I can finally put away the holiday stress and just enjoy getting ready...baking, wrapping, and filling our home with good smells, sights, and songs.