"Time. There never seems to be enough of it. Except when it's moving slowly. But that's rare, especially as the holidays approach and a new year threatens to begin before you've processed the entirety of the one that you're (barely) still navigating. That wasn't the case as children, though. The month of December rolled out at an excruciating pace. Every day was a lesson in patience. How many more sleeps until Winter Break? The answer was always, without fail; too many."
"Now, there exist a variety of pocketed countdown calendars, replete with surprises like chocolates or crystals or Yule-inspired plastic tchotchkes. whose purpose is to remind everyone of another day's passage. As though we weren't fully aware of the mandatory joy that was fast approaching. Visions of Sugar Plum Fairies have given way to agenda alerts and administrative EOY updates ... but, like, festive."
"I don't mean to sound like a Grinch. I quite enjoy gathering with family and friends. Ask anyone close to me and they'll tell you that my love language is gift-giving. It's not the spirit of the season with which I grapple. It's the barrage of to-dos in tandem with the absence of exhalations that force a rapidity of events so brisk that it's impossible to stay present"
Time often feels scarce for adults while childhood Decembers stretched into patient anticipation for breaks. Modern countdown calendars offer daily trinkets but also reinforce the passage of days. Festive imagery increasingly yields to agenda alerts and end-of-year administrative updates. Seasonal gatherings and gift-giving coexist with a barrage of to-dos and too few pauses, producing a rapid pace that prevents full presence and reception of holiday meaning. Expectations for constant, effortless magic overlook the effort required to craft memorable moments. Small rituals and logistical demands combine to make the season both festive and fraught.
Read at ESPN.com
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