Katie Gaffin's Chanukah Message for 2023

I got engaged earlier this month. It’s a funny feeling because while my fiancé Kyle and I are on cloud nine, we’re also very grounded about all the work and planning that’s ahead of us. Even the simplest thing like picking a date has my head swimming because it’s not just picking a date, it’s the weather and will people be available and how expensive is that month and what does that mean for colors and flowers and the dress and, …. It has us feeling as Bilbo Baggins put it, “Thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” We must constantly remind each other to just breathe and enjoy being engaged. Life goes by much too fast, and it’s important to take this time to celebrate the engagement and the holidays with our families.

My advice, to myself and to you, is to slow down. It’s easy to get caught up in planning the “perfect holiday” or “perfect wedding” and then you get to the end and realize you never enjoyed any of it. In 10 years, no one will remember if the house was spotless or if the gifts were perfectly wrapped, they’ll remember the time spent together. So slow down, take a breath, and enjoy these moments with the ones that you love.

Katie Gaffin is the events and public relations coordinator at the Atlanta Jewish Times.