The Horn of Plenty
Every Thanksgiving, the cornucopia appears. On the table, on the front door, in the centerpiece someone’s mom or grandmother made. A horn of plenty, overflowing with gourds, apples, and wheat.
It is a symbol of abundance. We love the overflow that cascades onto the table. We rarely think about the planting and planning that made the harvest possible.
The holidays can feel like a horn of plenty that overflows in every direction. Gatherings, travel, meals, and time off, all arriving at once. And for leaders, so does the question of who is covering, and who is responsible, while everyone is away.
The abundance we hope to enjoy during the holidays, from late November to early January, often depends on what we plan and communicate now.
Question: What could you plan now so your holiday time off overflows with the good things, not the work you left behind?
Signs Your Holiday Time Off Needs a Plan
Do any of these feel familiar?
Your holiday time off has been pre-approved, but no one has talked about who covers what.
You suspect half your team will be gone the same week, and no one has said it out loud.
You plan to “just keep an eye on email” during the holidays.
Every holiday season, your time off plans and your work calendar collide at the last minute.
Women & PTO: When Everyone Needs the Same Days
The holidays are a time of year when many people want the same days off. Families gather, schools close, and travel peaks. For leaders, that creates a quiet worry: if we are all away at once, who holds things together?
Too often, the answer becomes, “I’ll stay reachable, just in case.” And so, leaders spend the break they need half present, phone in hand, sneaking a peek “just this once.” I know, because I’ve been that leader.
Coverage works best as a shared responsibility. When leaders plan together, everyone can step away with confidence, and their teams see what it looks like to truly take time for rest.
Filling Your Horn of Plenty
A few things worth planting now, so your holiday time off is truly yours:
A shared calendar conversation. Some leaders find that simply putting everyone’s holiday plans side by side, weeks ahead, prevents the last-minute scramble.
A clear point person for each day. Knowing exactly who is reachable, and when, can let everyone else truly be off.
An honest definition of an emergency. Agreeing on what truly warrants a call can protect everyone’s holidays, including yours.
Your out-of-office, written early. A clear OOO with dates and coverage can do much of the work for you while you’re away.
An annual rotation for “always-on” professions. Some teams rotate holiday coverage each year, so everyone gets a turn to gather and celebrate.
Postcard Confession: Seeds of Coordination
Postcard Confession
Seeds of Coordination
I stood among the rose bushes in Shakespeare Garden as the breeze off the river whipped at my hair and intensified the roses’ fragrance. It was important for me to travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and stand in the park my great-grandfather designed. I never knew the man who immigrated across the ocean for a better life and planted seeds, but being there for the family reunion was his legacy.
It was a long holiday weekend, the kind of time of year when many leaders and team members want to be off at once. In healthcare, the work never stops. Holidays still require leadership presence, and even when we are truly off, one of us may still need to be on call. Vacation time is sacred to me, and I role model it for the people I work with. But what happens when several leaders are away at the same time?
A few weeks before the holiday, at our routine leadership meeting, I brought out the shared calendar to plan ahead. Vacation had been approved for each of us by different leaders. Three of us looked across the room and realized we were all “on vacation” the same weekend.
We pulled out our travel itineraries right there in the meeting and mapped out who was on a plane when, and who would take on-call when, so the team always had someone reachable. It was proactive, not perfect. I was on call while standing in a rose garden, but no emergencies came through.
My great-grandfather planted seeds for gardens. I planted seeds for proactive coordination of vacation time.
Photo 2025 - Amanda
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Awe Intention
This holiday season, notice what you are harvesting from seeds someone planted long ago: a recipe passed down, a family tradition, a gathering that still happens every year. Let yourself feel the quiet awe of being part of something that began before you.
What could you plan this week to protect your holiday time off?
Resources for Your Holiday Departure
If you’re requesting holiday time off, my free Girls Just Want PTO guide includes a coverage plan to help you hand off with confidence: https://knowdistanceco.myflodesk.com/ptoguide
And the free OOO Guide helps your out-of-office do more of the work while you’re away: https://knowdistanceco.myflodesk.com/ooo
Coming December 1: A Winter Journey Around the World, a free virtual advent calendar with a new holiday tradition, song, or recipe from around the world in your inbox each day. Join the Know Distance list to receive it, along with guides, event invitations, and special offers: https://knowdistanceco.myflodesk.com/join
Travel does not restore you because of where you go. It restores you because of what you bring to it and what you allow yourself to receive.
Au revoir, y’all!
Amanda
