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One-and-Done Christmas Magic

There’s a different kind of magic in Christmas when you have one child. Every tradition feels tender, like it’s wrapped in tissue paper and labeled “fragile.” The decorating, the cookie tasting, coloring under the lights of the tree... they’re not just memories in motion. They’re one-of-a-kind moments I’ll never repeat with another little one.

This season, I find myself slowing down more than usual. Not because I’m less busy, but because I’m suddenly aware of how rare these holiday rhythms are. When you only get to experience "firsts" once, and the true magic of this season for only a handful of years, they hold a little more weight. They’re softer, fuller, and somehow bittersweet — in the best way. Maybe.

There’s ache tucked into the joy — the ache of wanting to stretch time. To hold onto the excitement in his eyes, his rosy cheeks when he runs in from the cold, the way he believes in magic without needing proof. I know these days won’t last forever, and that’s what makes them sacred.

Being a mom to one doesn’t give me less to savor — it gives me one heart’s worth to protect with everything I have. And this year, that’s exactly what I want to do. Not rush. Not plan perfection. Just soak in the only version of this season we’ll ever get.

There’s beauty in the “only.”

But time could sure slow down.