“Now run away and play with your toys. I’ve got some thinking to do.” —Taylor Caldwell, Bright Flows the River
In Taylor Caldwell’s novel Bright Flows the River, a character speaks this line with equal parts exasperation and clarity.
After a week or two of full houses—kids, grandkids, extra meals, altered routines, and constant togetherness—this line feels less like dismissal and more like wisdom.

From a young age, most of us have heard the phrase, “It’s better to give than to receive.” The holiday season calls this maxim to mind more often than other times of the year. And while it sounds nice and noble, but is it actually true? The research says yes.

In the category of Christmas movies about money, it is impossible to compete with It’s a Wonderful Life. The depiction of the bank run alone nearly stops the conversation. But if we’re going to talk about the best Christmas movie about money and grace not named IAWL, we have to talk about The Holdovers.