Episode 52: Tips to Find Joy in this Unprecedented Christmas Holiday
After a month of go-go-go, most flower shops are about to stop for a day or two — maybe even a rare three-day weekend with Christmas falling on a Friday. And when the rush stops, the feelings catch up. This year, that quiet may hold disappointment: family gatherings that can't happen, open houses that were canceled, a holiday that looks nothing like the one anyone planned. Vonda and Lori recorded this episode for exactly that moment — a short, honest conversation about how to find joy in a genuinely hard season.
The questions every shop is asking
Before the joy talk, the hosts share what came up over and over in a recent Zoom with Flower Clique members. Owners' biggest worry: employees scattering to holiday gatherings you can't control, then all coming back into the shop. There's no perfect answer — shops are comparing policies and, as Lori admits, "making this up as we go along." The other hot topic was delivering to a house with a positive COVID case. Their take: if your deliveries are already contact-free, it shouldn't change much — and with freezing temperatures meaning wrapped flowers can't sit on a doorstep anyway, the routine is the same either way: text or call from the driveway, leave it at the door, ring the bell, and go.
Give yourself permission to feel it
The first tip is the simplest: let yourself be sad, disappointed, even mad. Stuffing it behind "I'm fine, really, I'm fine" isn't healthy. Lori's advice is to have a person or two you trust who can simply sit with you in the feelings — she and Vonda do it for each other weekly, no answers required, just venting until it's "okay, now let's get to work." Vonda passes along her mother's rule: feel all of it, but give yourself five minutes, then pick yourself back up. And that grief applies to your business, too — if your legendary open house didn't happen this year, you're allowed to be frustrated. It's just change, and eventually we're all either the instigator of change or the recipient of it.
Look for the silver lining
When sadness creeps in, turn around and find the gratitude: a healthy family, a good business year, people who love you. For those grieving someone lost this year, the hosts gently suggest embracing the memories — especially the funny ones. Lori's own family specialized in whoopee cushions and siblings hiding under beds, and those ridiculous stories are exactly what carry her through hard moments now. Humor genuinely lifts spirits; even a funny movie counts. So does noticing beauty you've walked past before — Lori has learned to enjoy an hour-long doctor's-office wait purely by getting invested in the characters in the room, because she can't control when her name gets called anyway.
Connect, unplug, and put yourself in timeout
Connection looks different right now, but it's still the medicine: FaceTime, Zoom, a small trusted circle like Vonda's, or the group texts Lori's on with friends from elementary school through college. It doesn't replace a hug, but seeing a face and laughing together across the miles matters. And when the feelings spike, walk away — step outside, take a deep breath of ice-cold air (Lori compares it to their old convention trick of a drop of peppermint oil rubbed between the palms), and put yourself in timeout. The point of a timeout, after all, is to sit and ask: how am I going to react to this situation — and do I need to own anything in it?
Key takeaways
- Make contact-free delivery your standing policy — call or text from the driveway, leave at the door, ring, and go, whatever the household's COVID status.
- Give yourself permission to feel sad, disappointed, or frustrated — then set a five-minute limit and pick yourself back up.
- Counter the hard feelings with gratitude, funny memories, and small beauties you've never slowed down to notice.
- Stay connected however you can: video calls, group texts, and a small trusted circle.
- When it gets to be too much, put yourself in timeout — fresh air and a deep breath work wonders.
Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist