“My ability to turn good news into anxiety is rivaled only by my ability to turn anxiety into chin acne.”

(Tina Fey)

Christmas Eve is all about the arrival of good news. For most of us, at the very least, it represents the arrival of family from near and far. For those who celebrate Clausmas, like I did growing up, it represents the arrival of presents. Finally, for those who strive to follow Jesus, Christmas Eve represents the arrival of Love itself, breaking into the world in a new, transformative way.

Regardless of how we approach it, though, one thing’s clear: Each of us has the power to screw it up. We can each turn the good news of family into friction, the good news of gifts into greed, and even the good news of Jesus into justified judgmentalism.

That’s why I love the quote above from Ms. Fey, and why I love her comedy so much. She is so naturally self-deprecating, it gives us all permission to be honest with ourselves, and even laugh about it.

This holiday is already imperfect, and we can all expect that to continue. But for those of us who can somehow “let go and let God,” it can still represent good news.