Christmas has always been my favorite holiday of the year. I love Christmas cookies, eggnog (now in latte form), twinkling lights, buying gifts, opening cards from far-away friends. . .all of it. Even the year my husband lost his job a month before the holidays, when we had to cut waaaaay back on our gift-giving, I still loved it.
And even though I lost my dad almost six years ago just a few days shy of Christmas, at least this is such a time of reflection and family, I always have time to sit by the tree, look at the lights and think about all he did for us.
But, it’s hard, isn’t it? Hard to keep up the energy required to be a parent at Christmas. It’s the shopping that mostly gets me down—-not the actual picking out of gifts (which I love to do), but the barrage of ads, the midnight sales, the “what do they want?” questions from everyone.
The tick-tick-tick in my head makes me wake with a stomachache and sweaty palms most mornings. I recently wrote on Facebook: Confession: I’m so not in the Christmas spirit this year. It’s usually my favorite holiday, but I’m not feeling it this year.
I can’t change the commercialism or the ticking clock, but I did sign up for another photography journaling class—this one aptly named Picture the Holidays.
And, strangely, it’s working. Looking at the holidays from behind the lens of my little point-and-shoot, reminding myself to: Stop, Hold Still and Just Look, is working.
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My girls were recently (this weekend) in a Christmas show at the local theater – so seeing them sing and watching the show come together in bits and pieces and finally watching the finished product has helped tremendously to get into the spirit.
Also, we adopted a family for Christmas with a group of friends, so watching my girls self-lessly shop for other kids has helped alot.
Seeing Moe empty out the dollars in her piggy bank "to give to the people who can't buy gifts for their kids" has been one of the biggest helpers.
It's hard to get beyond the commercialization of Christmas and back to the simple meaning of the season. It's hard not to feel rushed when in addition to the normal routines, you add in Christmas pageants, and shows and weekly Advent ceremonies at school. But trying to look at things through my children's eyes and see them thinking of others is a wonderful feeling. To hnot hear "I want" but hear "let's give" warms the heart on these cold, damp days!
Look how amazing! You made me want to come up for a visit and sing carols with you all and spike the mulled cider. How's tomorrow?
I've never had warm egg nog. Interesting.
I love your photos. Any chance you would like to submit one to be used in a Christmas video on Mommycosm? You would get full credit.
Info is here:
http://www.mommycosm.com/journal/2010/12/16/fill-in-the-blank-christmas-is-___.html
Merry Christmas 🙂
Kim
@Mommycosm