I've already written about my attempts to destress the holidays. So far, I'd give myself a B-. My daughter's involvement in COBALT Dance Co.'s "The Nutcracker'' -- a tremendous experience for both of us -- has really altered the schedule this year. But I'm managing to get things done despite even less time than usual. The tree, finally, is no longer wearing just its skirt. Most of the shopping is done. And the Christmas cards are winding down. I've accepted the fact that this may be the first year we will not bake a single Christmas cookie. And that's OK.

Surprisingly, however, and despite the stress of a full work and holiday schedule, I'm smiling and enjoying these days leading into Christmas -- maybe even more than I have in years past. I don't know what's different. But something is definitely new this year. Maybe, as I get older, it's a keener sense of the significance of family and friends in our lives, and the joy that finds us when we're not looking for it ... An unexpected gift that appears at the front door on an especially difficult day, as happened to me this week ... A nighttime prayer of my child who, at a time when we adults wring our hands over my mother's walking difficulties, offers thanks for the walker that's so crucial to helping her get around ... Other moms who care for my child when I can't, and the pleasure that comes from returning the favor ...

I'm still as tired as ever, but renewed by the joys of the season. I'm glad they're finding me, and I, them.