This week’s inspiration is a simple one. A friend passed along an email that contained a short list of “tweets” for the advent season. Most of them resonated with me, but the one that really made me think was this one:

Lower expectations, heighten relationships.

Wow.

I know that expectations can be a tricky endeavor, especially during the holidays. Memories and dreams often collide at our family gatherings as we try to honor those no longer with us while welcoming new members to the table.

Traditions can comfort us—or trap us. Grand plans can become unrealistic expectations. And as my sister, Rachel, has told me more than once, high expectations are sometimes simply resentments-in-waiting.

Yikes!

Lower expectations, heighten relationships—yep, that sounded good to me!

What matters most—really? The gifts given or what we learn about preferences as we shop for or with one another? The specific menu selections or what we discover about each other in discussing what to serve? An exquisitely prepared meal or the revealing conversations around the table? The “en pointe” holiday outfit or the opinion-sharing about which one to choose? Snapping that perfect holiday photo or laughing through the drama and antics we use to get everyone to smile?

Holidays give us the unique opportunity to get to know more about each other. We can focus on our expectations or choose to let the time together heighten our relationships.

This holiday season, I’m going to let the experiences matter more than expectations. How about you? Do you have a new approach to the holidays this year? Tell me about it. I’d love to know.

P.S. My thanks to Steve Scoggin for his thought-provoking advent tweets. You can read the entire post HERE.

P.P.S. Per your request from last week’s story about Blakely Faye, click HERE for the Texas Snow recipe she was making. Enjoy!