--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Christmas makes me schmaltzy. I'm proud…" description: "\"“Christmas makes me schmaltzy. I'm proud to be level-headed, even a little tough most of the time. But once a year I like to believe that peace on eart..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/sue-merrell-54318_calories_christmas-makes-me-schmaltzy-i-m-proud-t_2390412.jpg" --- # Christmas makes me schmaltzy. I'm proud to be… ![“Christmas makes me schmaltzy. I'm proud to be level-headed, even a little tough most of the time. But once a year I like to believe that peace on earth may be possible and calories don't count.” quote by Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/sue-merrell-54318_calories_christmas-makes-me-schmaltzy-i-m-proud-t_2390412.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/sue-merrell-54318_calories_christmas-makes-me-schmaltzy-i-m-proud-t_2390412.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/sue-merrell-54318_calories_christmas-makes-me-schmaltzy-i-m-proud-t_2390412.jpg) > ““Christmas makes me schmaltzy. I'm proud to be level-headed, even a little tough most of the time. But once a year I like to believe that peace on earth may be possible and calories don't count.”” [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits to being generally pragmatic and tough, yet allows a brief, hopeful holiday optimism that peace and indulgence are possible. **In simple terms:** Tough person lets holiday hope and indulgence in. Key Takeaway Embrace seasonal optimism despite everyday realism. Themes holiday spirit hope self‑acceptance Mood nostalgic reflective Type personal seasonal When to use this quote - family gatherings - holiday parties - personal reflection - gift giving Key Concepts seasonal optimism cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - How can you sustain hopeful attitudes beyond holidays? - What does “calories don’t count” reveal about self‑control? A Different Perspective The optimism may be fleeting and clash with long‑term values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-peace/) [Calories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories/) [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Christmas Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-makes-4183896/) [Level headed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/level-headed/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Once a year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once-a-year/) [Peace on earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-on-earth/) [Proud Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud-level-5952833/) [Schmaltzy Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schmaltzy-proud-5952832/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Christmas makes me happy no matter what time of year it comes around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-white/christmas-makes-me-happy-no-matter-what-time-of-year-it-comes-around/) [Bryan White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-white/) > [In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-grigson/in-my-experience-clever-food-is-not-appreciated-at-christmas-it-makes/) [Jane Grigson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-grigson/) > [Christmas makes everything twice as sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/christmas-makes-everything-twice-as-sad/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [A green Christmas makes a fat graveyard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inez-haynes-irwin/a-green-christmas-makes-a-fat-graveyard/) [Inez Haynes Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inez-haynes-irwin/) > [“Tala had proven herself to be level headed, more so than most of the women Graham had ever encountered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-shaw/tala-had-proven-herself-to-be-level-headed-more-so-than-most-of-the/) [A.R. Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-shaw/) > [I've learned that I've got to keep level-headed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-barks/i-ve-learned-that-i-ve-got-to-keep-level-headed/) [Samantha Barks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-barks/) > [I grew up believing my generation would be better. We would be kinder, we would be more level-headed. We would be more loving. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorja-fox/i-grew-up-believing-my-generation-would-be-better-we-would-be-kinder/) [Jorja Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorja-fox/) > [I try to stay level-headed and it's always the way I've been. Sometimes your personality out in the real world, you want to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/i-try-to-stay-level-headed-and-it-s-always-the-way-i-ve-been/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) > [Audacious faith is the raw material that authentic Christianity is made of. It's the stuff that triggers ordinarily level-headed people like you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-furtick/audacious-faith-is-the-raw-material-that-authentic-christianity-is/) [Steven Furtick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-furtick/) > [Now I try to play the game, not the situation. You have to stay level-headed and not get too emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-white/now-i-try-to-play-the-game-not-the-situation-you-have-to-stay-level/) [Ben White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-white/) > [Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/long-before-being-nerdy-was-cool-there-was-leonard-nimoy-leonard-was/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I'm very level-headed and business minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-m-very-level-headed-and-business-minded/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [I just try to keep level-headed and try to improve every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-rice/i-just-try-to-keep-level-headed-and-try-to-improve-every-day/) [Declan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-rice/) > [I'm basically a pretty level-headed guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-paycheck/i-m-basically-a-pretty-level-headed-guy/) [Johnny Paycheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-paycheck/) > [I am a pretty level-headed person, but that person, Harry Reid, has been the most destructive entity in Washington when it comes to civility.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-am-a-pretty-level-headed-person-but-that-person-harry-reid-has-been/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) ## More by Sue Merrell > [“Reporters can't douse flames or soothe burns. They have no control over the horrors they witness. But if they can overcome fear and physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-merrell/reporters-can-t-douse-flames-or-soothe-burns-they-have-no-control/) [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) > [“Losing a mate to death is devastating but it's not a personal attack like divorce. When somebody you love stops loving you and walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-merrell/losing-a-mate-to-death-is-devastating-but-it-s-not-a-personal-attack/) [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) > [“Never trust a man who dresses too well or stays too clean. It ain't natural and whatever he's up to probably ain't legal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-merrell/never-trust-a-man-who-dresses-too-well-or-stays-too-clean-it-ain-t/) [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) > [“If the phone rings...then you and I, greedy newshounds that we are, will jump up -- even if it rings during the good part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-merrell/if-the-phone-rings-then-you-and-i-greedy-newshounds-that-we-are-will/) [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) > [“I don’t know what makes people start wanting each other any more than I know what makes it stop all of a sudden. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-merrell/i-don-t-know-what-makes-people-start-wanting-each-other-any-more-than/) [Sue Merrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) [Explore all 6 Sue Merrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-merrell/) ## More Calories quotes > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that what makes it healthier, lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-add-a-lot-of-citrus-to-my-food-and-i-think-that-flavors-it-and-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Don't compare yourself with someone else's version of happy or thin. Accepting yourself burns the most calories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-rhea/don-t-compare-yourself-with-someone-else-s-version-of-happy-or-thin/) [Caroline Rhea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-rhea/) > [- "Women should all move to Amazonia, or at least vacation there four times a year." - "Amazonia?" - "It's the girl world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/women-should-all-move-to-amazonia-or-at-least-vacation-there-four/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [So much of the world's suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/so-much-of-the-world-s-suffering-results-from-the-sinful-action-or/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-use-a-lot-of-fresh-citrus-garlic-and-fresh-herbs-when-cooking-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [No one asks the cow or the chicken where it gets its protein. I eat about 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-salley/no-one-asks-the-cow-or-the-chicken-where-it-gets-its-protein-i-eat/) [John Salley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-salley/) > [At my heaviest, I was 5'8" and 175 pounds. I ate well, but in too large quantities, and I rarely made a concerted effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/at-my-heaviest-i-was-5-8-and-175-pounds-i-ate-well-but-in-too-large/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [Not eating meat really keeps me trim…meat, and what's usually served with it, is a big calorie packer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/not-eating-meat-really-keeps-me-trim-meat-and-what-s-usually-served/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [I am constantly working out-circuit training, jumping rope, and stair-stepping, and sticking to 1200 calories a day. It can't be something that you're doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-am-constantly-working-out-circuit-training-jumping-rope-and-stair/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The reason fiber helps us control our weight is that it fills the belly yet yields few calories since fiber is, for the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-freston/the-reason-fiber-helps-us-control-our-weight-is-that-it-fills-the/) [Kathy Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-freston/) > [Just as modern man consumes both too many calories and calories of no nutritional value, information workers eat data both in excess and from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/just-as-modern-man-consumes-both-too-many-calories-and-calories-of-no/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [“For chess grand masters, the process of thinking during a match can "cost" up to 7000 calories a day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-lotto/for-chess-grand-masters-the-process-of-thinking-during-a-match-can/) [Beau Lotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-lotto/) [Browse all 322 Calories quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calories/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Christmas makes me schmaltzy. 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