I have three words for you: Hallmark Christmas Movies.

I know they are dreadful, aren’t they? And I now love it.

Friends, there was a time when I derisively mocked other family members for their love of all things Hallmark, particularly holiday movies. The movies are trite, predictable, and far-fetched.

How many businessmen can plan to visit a small town and close the factory, raze the local historic landmark, or sell off the beloved family company? If you ask Hallmark, it’s an endless number.

But over the years, these tepid rom-coms have grown on me. And ironically, it’s for all the reasons I have already complained about them. They are predictable, far-fetched, and honestly, there is no stress. I can leave the room for 15 minutes, and come back, and I have missed nothing important. And it’s awesome.

While the real world continues to be a consistent stream of devastation, and often, our own personal lives can be the intermittent slog that they are, there is a consistent serving of Hallmark holiday confection to feed your need for “entertainment.”

From now until the end of the year, one less question I will have to answer is “What can I watch?”

That seems like a simple enough question, but it’s loaded. When I ask myself, what can I watch, it means: what won’t stress me out, irritate me, keep me up all night so emotionally devastated by the state of the world, and what will allow me to still believe, hope, and dream for another day.

I know it sounds awfully dramatic, but have we mentioned how the last 12 months have gone? They’ve been akin to being in a rickshaw on switchbacks in the Rocky Mountains. If that means nothing to you, let me say it another way. It’s been a bumpy ride.

I live for cozy sweaters and fluffy scarves on my favorite schmaltzy Hallmark actors. And friends, this time of year, they bring out the heavy hitters- the home run makers, the A-team. That’s what I look for in my evening TV-watching or weekend chill-fest.

I laugh, and I make fun, but I imagine I am just like you. What I am seeking is comfort in any place I can find it. It’s why my sisters are trying to decorate for Christmas in July and hope nobody notices… it brings comfort. It brings the illusion of safety. It allows us to feel like, for the love, there is something we can depend on. And Hallmark movies around this time of year are our own personal holiday salve. It smooths out the rough edges of late nights and early mornings as we try to meet all the demands of our usual lives, topped off with holiday obligations. Ahem, I mean cheer. Holiday cheer.

As we have established, life can be hard at times. Life still comes with a wake in its path these days. I figure if I can find something to tether myself to, even if it’s a festive holiday comforter or a cheesy TV movie, then that’s a win.

If you’re wondering why a yoga teacher isn’t singing the praises of meditation and yoga as a way to deal with stress, rest assured- I am doing that, too. But sometimes, at the end of a long day, what I need most is something relaxed that doesn’t require a plank.