I’m obviously a big fan of Christmastime…I look forward to it all year, start brushing off Christmas CDs early, and keep my tree up until Brian forces me to take it down. And every year I wish I could just enjoy the season without the stress of entertaining, cooking, sending cards, and buying gifts for everyone I know.
Oddly enough, this year, such stressors have been removed. We warned our families long ago that this would be a lean Christmas (in other words, expect pictures of Avery and nothing else) since I will have just come off of my only partially paid maternity leave. We didn’t have a Christmas party this year either. I’m not even sending real Christmas cards…I still haven’t finished sending birth announcements!
Usually by this time (T minus seven days) I’d be using up every free moment trying to find that last gift or cook for, say, twenty people. But this season has been stress free (aside from having a newborn, going back to work full time, and finding out I will no longer have a job in a few weeks). Ok, it’s been close to stress free.
And the strangest thing has happened…I don’t feel like Christmas is really coming. Wow, reality check. Has Christmas for me been reduced to giving gifts and throwing parties?
Because of this realization, I’m trying more than ever to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Not just being with friends and family and giving to others. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but what if it was all taken away and all that was left was “Christmas” and not all that comes along with Christmastime? Would it be enough? Would it still feel like Christmas?
I had a similar experince this past week. While attempting to break through the ice from the storm to make my walkway safe (for the soon to be visiting relatives for the holidays) I stopped and surveyed (again) the damage from the storm. We had 3 trees come down in our front yard. The storm pretty much tore up all the Christmas lights, blow ups and sound system (yes I over do it)…Since having my first of 3 kids seven yrs ago I had made Christmas a “Holiday”, a time of festive lights and presents. This storm and its ‘destruction’ allowed me to actually see through the “holiday lights and decorations”..to what Christmas is actually about, the celebration of Christ. This year, rather than read Twas the night before Christmas to the kids, I will tell them about the glorious night that Christ was born,……… Would Christmas still be? Yes, if you beleive, you would feel that Joy.
I think we all get caught up in the shopping and parties and thrills that come with the season. Setting that aside, Christmas is a beautiful time of love. Merry Christmas to you, Libby!
If you want to catch something that REALLY is the spirit of Christmas, check out Jon Wise’s blog about the family God (with a bit of help from Jon and Nic) helped out this year. THEN you’ll feel the spirit!