Do you feel the holidays creeping up over your shoulder and putting pressure on your neck and across your back? Do you hear someone whispering in your ear telling you if you don’t make sure the next month-and-a-half are filled with the same visions of perfection that you see on TV, then you are worthless and your family will have the worst Thanksgiving and Christmas ever?

I do.

Interesting Thanksgiving dishes from the Food Network, perfect holiday tables and the perfect Thanksgiving lesson for your children that will impact them for the rest of their lives are all on tap in my world of Thanksgiving.

I must make sure everything I put on the table is perfect, the house is clean and sweet-smelling and that dinner isn’t late. A fresh, not frozen, turkey, homemade cranberry relish, not sauce from a can, and six kinds of homemade pie are necessities.

Fresh rolls that are perfectly timed and a grapevine draped down the center of the table with twinkling lights will make my Thanksgiving worthwhile.

Oh, and then there’s that cranberries in a Mason jar idea I heard about on the radio from the lady who sounded like she had everything together. And then everyone will need their own handmade place card made from the most beautiful leaves I preserved from the silver maple tree.

And I’m sure my kids will be excited to list all the things they are thankful for, on the laminated leaves I made.

Are any of these things weighing anyone else down? Am I the only one who feels the need to put on a perfect holiday meal with all the trimmings? Am I the only one who is consumed by consumerism?

If you’re in the same boat, then you’re in good company. Half the women in America are fighting this perfect holiday demon. The fact we are so blessed should be enough for us to relax and enjoy the day. But we let perfectionism bully us into thinking we are worthless if we aren’t perfect.

The fact of the matter is, our families would rather have pizza and the attention of their mom than the perfect holiday meal, and a mom they have to peel off the ceiling when her rolls burn and her gravy is lumpy.

Slow down and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. If that means you need to cook less, then cook less. If that means you eat pie from a box, then eat pie from a box while enjoying the company of your family.

Shove the perfection bully down and have an imperfect holiday. Your family will be the winners.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.