One Word Wednesdays: A Simple Reflection to Ease Your Week

Each week, I choose one word that captures something I’ve been learning, feeling, or noticing in my everyday life as a mom.

These One Word Wednesday reflections are my way of slowing down- giving thoughts room to stretch and breathe- especially in seasons when life feels busy, loud, and full of expectations.

This week’s word is:

JOLLY

Webster’s defines jolly as:

“Happy and cheerful.”

Simple enough, right?

And yet…

-this time of year has a funny way of turning jolly into something we feel like we’re supposed to perform.

As moms, December often comes with an unspoken job description:

• Be festive.
• Be cheerful.
• Keep the mood light.
• Make the magic happen.

We hang the lights.
We plan the moments.
We keep things moving even when we’re tired.

And somewhere along the way, jolly can start to feel less like a feeling and more like a responsibility.

But real jolly– the kind that actually fills you up- is quieter than we expect.

It’s not constant cheer.
It’s not nonstop energy.
It doesn’t look like smiling through exhaustion.

Real jolly shows up in flashes.

It’s the laugh that sneaks out during a messy craft.
The moment a silly song breaks the tension.
The shared joke at the dinner table that nobody planned.

Jolly doesn’t demand perfection.
It doesn’t need everything to be done.
It doesn’t require you to feel good all the time.

Sometimes jolly is just:

“This is enough for today.”

As a stay-at-home mom, I’m learning that I don’t have to manufacture jolly.

I don’t have to earn it.
I don’t have to schedule it.
I don’t have to hold it together perfectly to deserve it.

Jolly finds us when we loosen our grip a little.

When we let something be silly.
When we choose ease over expectation.
When we allow joy to be imperfect and fleeting- and still meaningful.

Jolly might look like:

• A spontaneous dance in the kitchen.
• A half-finished to-do list.
• A cozy mess that feels lived in.
• Laughter that comes out of nowhere.

Here’s the quiet truth:

Jolly isn’t something you give everyone else at your own expense.

It’s something you’re allowed to experience, too.

“Joy doesn’t need to be loud to be real.”

So if this season feels busy, or heavy, or just a bit too full-
let jolly be gentle.

Not forced.
Not constant.
Not performative.

Just a small moment of lightness where you let yourself breathe.

If this word resonated with you, I’d love for you to reflect on it:

What did jolly look like for you this week- without trying to make it happen?

Sometimes noticing it is enough.

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