Can’t we just enjoy the traditional seasonal delights without feelings of guilt, defeat and self-loathing?

Social pressures and Spanx can put quite a squeeze on mandatory festive occasions.

Despite my best efforts and intentions, the budget-killing blizzard of twinkle lights, eye-catching displays, irresistible sales, fuzzy slippers, cheese log samples, ingenious gadgets, two-for-one deals and unsolicited perfume spritzes during holiday trips to the mall turn me from a savvy customer into a misfit shopper every December.

Ever since moving out of your childhood home, you’ve enjoyed basic human entitlements such as public drinking and wastewater systems. But a holiday visit to Mom and Dad’s is a reminder of all you’ve moved on from.

When our family was young, I naively believed that being a good mom meant that I had to work hard to give my family magical holiday experiences. What a fool I was!

I’d always been my own worst critic, cutting myself no slack, unable to accept compliments, doubting myself constantly. I’d never really thought, “What would I think of a separate and distinct me?”

Being there for your kids’ activities, even the painful ones, demonstrates love and support in ways they will likely always remember.

There’s only so much character-building that can be done before a lack of success just makes perennial losers bitter.

All I knew about the creepy abandoned building was that it was our town’s jail back in the olden days.