Being a parent during the holidays is as rewarding as it is exhausting. You have to run around town hunting for the latest sought-after toys, but you also get to watch their face light up as they rip them open. Having kids around makes the holidays worthwhile. Everyone in my family is an adult, so the highs of Christmas morning aren’t quite as high as they once were. 

The amount of blinding joy that kids get when they open presents is a feeling I’ll be chasing for the rest of my life. Or maybe until I have kids and get to live vicariously through them. I’m sure I’ll miss the quiet mornings and the chance to sleep in, but it’ll be well replaced by the new toy rush. The closest I’ll get to that this year is if someone announces that they made egg nog. So here’s a toast to all the parents this holiday season, may Santa leave a little something in your stocking too.