Holiday Circus

11.25.25

I’ve never cared for the holidays. They’ve always felt over commercialized and a panicked frenzy where everyone tries to engineer the perfect celebration, only to end up disappointed by travel delays, a dry turkey, a pie that missed the mark, or the inevitable family arguments. Working my steps has helped me release a lot of the resentments and character defects that used to make me downright loathe this season, but I still refuse to buy into the hype.

Today was a perfect example of why. Traffic was insane, grocery store shelves were stripped bare, and people were stressed, rude, and barely hanging on. It felt like the whole world was having a full-blown meltdown. Instead of getting swept up in the chaos, I’m trying to use my program tools, grounding myself, breathing, keeping perspective, and protecting my serenity.

The difference now is that I’m not white-knuckling or drinking my way through it. I’m choosing what I participate in. I can see the circus for what it is without letting it steal my peace. And even with all the madness swirling around, I’m excited to spend time with family and friends, the part that actually matters, the part I never saw clearly before recovery.