’Twas the night before Christmas, the house was a mess,
Nothing was done and I wore it like stress.
The kids were asleep, so I called it a win,
While chaos tap-danced everywhere else within.
We made it to Mass on Christmas Eve night,
I felt proud, felt holy, felt doing it right.
I shifted my shirt and my soul left my chest,
Yes backwards the whole time. Oh well. I was blessed.
Christmas Eve groceries, last minute run,
Because “we’re almost out” means it must be done.
Milk, bread, snacks, every box I could see,
My husband said, “Cheez-Its.”
I said, “Sure.”
I forgot them completely.
I bought every cracker, each flavor, each brand,
Except for the Cheez-Its. Please understand.
The wrapping began, then it stopped, then it spun,
Then restarted at midnight because chaos is fun.
Tape stuck to a cat. No wait. Other cat.
Which one was this? Fine. We are past that.
The scissors escaped. The gift tags went rogue.
One present said “???” and I chose to be bold.
I shrugged and moved on. This was not the time
To spiral on labels. I chose peace. Sublime.
The Elf on the Shelf watched it all from above,
With the face of someone fresh out of love.
He said, “Ma’am no thank you. I cannot assist.
Someone help this lady. I’m tapping out. I quit.”
He grabbed his red hat and his tiny elf shoes,
Said, “My ride’s here. I’m leaving. I wish you the best. Peace. Adios. Deuces.”
My brain said, “Relax, you still have some time.”
Reality laughed and said, “Girl. Be so for real.”
Plans half planned, reminders ignored,
And an Amazon box I absolutely ordered
Twice.
I sank to the floor in a bow covered heap,
While one cat judged hard and the other judged deep.
“I failed,” I thought, “I ruined the night.”
Then I looked at the tree in its soft, glowing light.
The kids were asleep. The house finally still.
The chaos grew quiet against its own will.
And there it was. Magic. Not tidy or neat,
But warm and familiar and slightly off beat.
In tired arms trying. In laughing through mess.
In showing up silly instead of perfect.
So I let it all go, the guilt and the fight.
The Cheez-Its can wait. We will live through the night.
Because this chaos, this love, this beautifully true
Holiday madness I somehow got through
Was more than enough
on that long Christmas night.
Flo is an ADHD mom who survives on coffee, humor, and sheer determination. She writes about motherhood, mental load, and holiday chaos, usually after forgetting at least one important thing (like the Cheez-Its).