I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I’m always shocked in November, usually when I’m dressing my turkey, that another year has passed so quickly. It’s a universal truth for those over the age of fifty that time becomes a sort of quantum equation we haven’t quite figured out. The days stretch, the years collapse, and suddenly we’re pulling holiday decorations out of closets again, wondering how it can possibly be time already.

As our families are scattered across the country, and sometimes the world, holidays become more important. The holiday season isn’t the busiest travel time of the year for no reason. It’s an excuse to reconnect with the family and friends we’re blessed to have. We board airplanes, find seats on trains, and drive hundreds of miles just to sit across from the people we love so we caan pass them the turkey platter and watch their faces as they take the first bite of pie. It’s a beautiful thing.

Make a big deal of the holidays this year. Really do it up. If money is short — and for many it is — remember that you don’t need designer garlands, specialty ornaments, or a table setting that costs more than the groceries. There are free pine boughs right outside your door. There are good-looking Christmas plates at the Dollar Tree. There are two-for-one deals on ice cream, and it’s amazing how festive a dessert looks with a drizzle of caramel and a handful of cranberries. It doesn’t take much to elevate what you already have. A simple serving plate, a sprig of greenery, or a few good ideas can transform your home into something warm and inviting.

Here’s one: if you have a donut pan, drop a few whole cranberries into each well and fill it with ginger ale. Add a tiny piece of mint to look like a bow on a wreath. Freeze it, and you’ll have little holiday ice rings for mimosas or sparkling water. They look like something from a magazine, and they cost next to nothing.

You can do the same with regular ice cubes. Toss in a cranberry, a rosemary leaf, or a tiny peel of orange zest. Freeze. Add to any drink and suddenly you’ve got atmosphere.

Tie a ribbon around a stack of old books and place a tea light on top — instant charm. Snip a few pieces of greenery from the yard and tuck them into picture frames or into napkin rings. Use a plaid scarf as a table runner. Put on Christmas music and let it do half the decorating for you. None of this costs much, but it adds that holiday glow we all crave this time of year.

And here’s something else: let the kids or grandkids help. Give them scissors and white paper and let them cut out snowflakes for the windows. Show them how to string popcorn like we used to. Let them sprinkle powdered sugar across the table like “snow.” These small, imperfect things bring a home to life. They remind us that joy never needed a big budget — it just needed intention and imagination.

If you’re cooking for guests, remember that presentation is everything. A simple bowl of mashed potatoes looks elegant if you swirl the top with the back of a spoon and add a pat of butter in the center. A roasted chicken becomes holiday-worthy when surrounded with oranges and cranberries. Add a few sprigs of rosemary to the platter, and suddenly it looks like you tried harder than you did.

You don’t need twenty dishes for a holiday meal. Make just a few — and make them well. Serve them on a pretty plate. Light a candle. Let the aroma do the heavy lifting.

And here’s the secret I’ve learned after many years of hosting: People don’t remember what you spent. They remember how you made them feel. They remember laughter, warmth, and that sense of being welcomed. They remember the effort, not the price tag.

If money is tight, offer experiences instead of things. Invite someone for cocoa and a movie. Take a neighborhood walk to look at lights. Bake one batch of cookies and deliver them to a few neighbors. Write a handwritten note telling someone what they mean to you. These gestures are the ones that stay with people long after the decorations are packed away.

There’s a quiet beauty in a humble holiday. Think back to your childhood: odds are the memories you recall most vividly aren’t the expensive gifts. They’re the smell of cinnamon in the kitchen, the sound of wrapping paper being crinkled on the floor, the glow of lights reflecting in a window. They’re moments — not merchandise.

So whatever you do this season, do it with heart. Create a little magic in the ways you can. If you’re by yourself, treat yourself anyway. Light a candle. Put on your favorite holiday movie. Make a simple dinner and eat it on your nicest plate. Surround yourself with beauty, even if it’s small.

If you’re gathering with others, don’t worry about perfection. Nobody cares if the tree leans a little or the pie crust cracked. What they’ll remember is the warmth in your home and the kindness at your table.

In the end, the holidays aren’t about abundance — they’re about presence. They’re about showing up for each other. Being present. Laughing. Remembering. Making space for gratitude.

This season will never come again in exactly this way. The people around your table will grow and change; some may not be with you next year. That’s why the holidays matter. Not because they’re perfect, but because they’re fleeting.

So embrace this one. Make it warm. Make it meaningful. Make it beautiful in the ways that matter most.

Tis the season. Make it a good one.