One of the best parts of the VANA community is the shared experience — especially during the holidays.
This story was submitted by Lisa Millar, one of our VANA community members, and if you’ve ever tried (and failed) to fully take time off as a freelancer or Virtual Assistant, it’s going to feel very familiar.
Grab a cozy drink, silence your notifications (just for a minute), and enjoy this perfectly relatable Christmas tale.
The Freelancer Who Tried to Take Christmas Off🎁
By December 22nd, Alex the freelancer had made a solemn declaration to everyone who would listen (the cat, a half-written email draft, and a potted succulent that may or may not have been dead for three months) that *this year*, Christmas would be fully, completely, 100% off.
No work.
No clients.
No “quick questions.”
No “just circling back.”
No “whenever you get a chance.”
Alex had even set up an out-of-office reply that said, “Away for the holidays — back January 2nd!”
It felt powerful. Revolutionary, even.
This decision lasted approximately eleven hours.
✨ ✨ ✨
At 8:03 a.m. on December 23rd, a client emailed with the subject line:
“Tiny thing before Christmas… ”
Alex’s eye twitched.
The thing was not tiny.
It involved a website redesign, three conflicting opinions from the client’s “brand team” (aka their sister-in-law and a guy named Derek), a logo last updated in 2014 that was somehow both a JPEG *and* blurry, and a request to “make it pop but also keep it understated, you know?”
Alex did not know.
Alex replied politely, professionally, and with the emotional undertone of someone screaming into a throw pillow while smiling for a Zoom call.
“Happy to help! I’ll take a look after the holidays.”
The client responded in four minutes:
“Perfect! Can you send it by tomorrow? ”
Alex stared at the screen.
The cat stared at Alex.
Even the dead succulent seemed judgmental.
✨ ✨ ✨
Next came the family Christmas preparations, which is code for “a full day of unpaid labor with bonus emotional commentary.”
Alex’s mum appeared in the doorway holding a sack of potatoes that could’ve fed a small village.
“Since you work for yourself, you can just help out all day, right?”
“Yes,” Alex said automatically, because freelancers have long forgotten how to explain that *time* is a thing they also need.
While peeling potatoes, Alex mentally rewrote a sales page.
While wrapping presents with corners that refused to stay taped, Alex debated whether “Happy Christmas!” sounded too aggressive or if “Wishing you a peaceful holiday season” was trying too hard.
While stirring gravy and avoiding eye contact with the lumps, Alex suddenly remembered an invoice sent three weeks ago that had definitely, *probably*, maybe been paid.
Narrator voice: *It had not been paid.*
✨ ✨ ✨
Then came the festive family gathering, where Alex’s career would be explained no fewer than six times to people who were related by blood but not by understanding.
Uncle Steve appeared, holding a glass of something that may have been mulled wine or possibly furniture polish.
“So what do you *do* again?” he asked, as if this weren’t the fifth consecutive Christmas he’d asked this exact question.
“I’m a freelancer,” Alex said, with the patience of a saint and the internal scream of someone who’s had this conversation since 2016.
“Oh,” said Uncle Steve, nodding slowly. “So… when are you getting a *real* job?”
Alex smiled.
It was the smile of someone who has considered creating a PowerPoint presentation titled “Revenue Streams, Tax Deductions, and Why I’m Not Your Employee” but has instead chosen peace.
“Maybe never, Steve. Pass the cheese.”
Uncle Steve looked confused but handed over the brie.
Victory.
✨ ✨ ✨
At 9:47 p.m., after dinner, three rounds of charades, and a minor argument about whether *Die Hard* counts as a Christmas film, Alex snuck away “to check on the cat.”
The cat was fine.
The laptop, however, was right there.
*Just a quick look*, Alex thought. *Just to see if anything urgent came in.*
One email turned into two.
Two emails turned into “fixing one small thing.”
One small thing turned into muttering, “I’ll stop after this,” at least seven times while the cursor blinked accusingly.
At 10:34 p.m., the cat — who had been watching this entire spiral with the disdain only cats can muster — walked directly onto the keyboard, sat down, and refused to move.
Alex took this as a sign.
A *divine* sign.
The laptop was closed. The emails could wait. The clients would survive. The logo from 2014 could stay blurry for one more night.
Christmas pudding was reheated for the third time and was still, somehow, excellent.
✨ ✨ ✨
Later, wrapped in a blanket that was definitely meant for the sofa but had become Alex’s emotional support item, Alex thought about the year.
The wins. The messes. The 2 a.m. panic edits. The invoices that took three follow-ups. The clients who became friends. The ones who… didn’t. The moments of “why am I like this?” followed by *“oh right, because I’m building something that’s mine.”*
And Alex smiled.
Because tomorrow, Alex would still be a freelancer.
The emails would still be there.
The invoices would still need chasing.
Uncle Steve would still not understand.
But tonight?
Tonight, Alex was just a person in a blanket, eating chocolate coins, ignoring notifications, and not replying to *anyone*.
Which felt like an actual Christmas miracle. 🎄
About the Contributor – Lisa Millar
This story was crafted by Lisa Millar, VANA Community Moderator and the genius behind Bloom Content Design. Lisa specializes in helping service providers create clear, strategic systems and copy that actually works — so you can stop reinventing the wheel and start serving clients with confidence.
If you loved this story (and let’s be honest, you saw yourself in it), you’ll love what Lisa does for business owners who need their operations and messaging to finally make sense.
Check out Lisa’s work at bloomcontentdesign.com — your future organized self will thank you.
