One of my fondest holiday memories was when I gave my two daughters tickets to see a Taylor Swift concert. They were 9 and 12 years old at the time (now they are 17 and 20), and that’s all they talked about for the seven months leading up to the concert. By the way, did I mention I offered to take six of their closest friends? Me, eight pre-teens and 60,000 people at a Taylor Swift concert. Now you’ll understand when I tell you I was a wreck that day.

In my job as a CEO, I’m used to anticipating, planning and strategizing. And in my job as an emergency medicine physician, I’m used to chaos and responding in a crisis. But nothing prepares you for chaperoning eight giggly, rambunctious tweens to and from a concert. I was worried about what could go wrong. What if I lose one of them in the crowd? What if someone gets hurt? How would I explain it to the parents? My list of worries seemed endless.

When the concert was over, I couldn’t wait to leave and get all eight kids safely back to my house. But those girls had the time of their lives. To this day, all eight of them still talk about that concert and my daughters think of it as the best Christmas present ever. And when I look back on that day, I wish I could have relaxed a little and enjoyed that moment with my kids and their friends instead of worrying about what might go wrong.

I share this story so that we all can remember to pause during the crazy, sometimes chaotic holiday season, take a deep breath, enjoy the time we have with our friends and families, appreciate being in the moment – knowing that we could be making a holiday memory that will be cherished long into the future.

Whether you are traveling to visit friends and family or staying close to home – whether you are celebrating Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate this season – I hope you have a wonderful, peaceful and memory-making holiday!

Thank you for all that you do!

Eric