Even though 2022 seemed to last as long as a 5-year-old reading “Green Eggs and Ham,” the holidays rushed in like a wicked case of intestinal flu. But high grocery prices? Rising inflation? Those things have never stopped Americans from over-celebrating the holidays. 

If you’re finding it hard to capture the spirit of Christmas this year, just remember the real meaning of the holidays: getting presents. All those brightly-wrapped packages will bring you hours of temporary joy and fulfillment. 

I wonder if we have lost our senses, in a very literal way. Maybe if we come back to our senses for the holidays, we’ll stop eating when we’re not hungry, partying when we’re tired and buying a doghouse full of gifts for the family puppy when we’re already over budget.

Let’s start with the sights of the season, like the piles of enticing Amazon boxes shoved into hiding places and spilling out of closets. The twinkling lights of police cars at the neighbor’s house. The dead-eyed stare of a Target cashier and colored globes hanging on the Christmas tree that drops needles when someone walks by.

How about the sounds of the season, like your favorite holiday tunes played by an accordion, or the infinite Mariah Carey song remix/mash-ups/covers. You’ll hear “Carol of the Bells” so often it becomes part of that nightmare where you’re running to get the last LEGO set but you’re wearing furry slippers and keep tripping over elves. And there’s so much jingling!

What does Christmas feel like? A toddler’s fingers, sticky from a candy cane, leaving pink fingerprints down the hall. Paper cuts from wrapping gifts. Cold, wet toes as you trudge through snowy parking lots and discover a hole in the sole of your boot. Frozen fingertips, runny noses and being bustled by bustling crowds.

The tastes of Christmas include nastiness like egg nog and fruitcake, but also the sugary sweetness of gumdrops that suction to your molars and must be surgically removed. Then there’s scalding hot chocolate with toasted marshmallows. (Hint: don’t toast marshmallows in the actual toaster. I know that now.)

December smells like cinnamon, cloves, Seussian roast beast and smoke from your overused credit card. I’ve never smelled roasted chestnuts, but I imagine they have an aroma like a wet dog lying by the fire. Real evergreen trees emit the scent of fresh forests while making it hard to breathe for people with pine allergies.

Obviously, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s going wrong with the holidays, without paying attention to the feeling behind the scenes. When I sit with that emotion, it’s one of peace, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and love. Things Hallmark Christmas movies are always going on about.

What if Hallmark is right? And I’ve never said that before.

Maybe the miracle of Christmas is noticing the small pleasures like when your friend sends you a funny card or your husband brings you a soft, fluffy blanket as you binge holiday movies. Maybe it’s reading stories to your grandkids or listening to grandparents share favorite Christmas morning memories.

More than the senses, Christmas is about time. A time to pause. A time to be still. A time to remember. A time to breathe. A time to be grateful. A time to be with family. A time reflect with wonder and awe at the beauty of this world. 

Coming back to our senses, in a real way, slows time. It reminds us we’re not alone as we move together through these dark nights with bright stars, just doing the best we can. 

Peri Kinder is an award-winning humor writer, hosts the Life & Laughter podcast and was voted Best of State for 2022. She’s also a yoga/meditation instructor and life coach.