Christmas Now and Christmas Then, Humbug

I really don’t want to sound ungrateful and my goal is not to complain about the season.  Christmas has always been very special in our family. Over the years the celebration has been fun. You don’t have four children and not love the things about Christmas that make it fun, but things have changed. Christmas now is not like Christmas then. 

Christmas Then

Things have just changed. I think about some of the crazy weeks leading up to December 25 and miss them.  Yes, I said miss them. I can’t believe those words just jumped onto the computer, but they did. 

Craziness

You know I would call some of the days leading up to Christmas just down right crazy. I remember baking so much food the Salvation Army could feed all of India. Seriously, why do we do that? Why do we feel the need to make all the recipes of our ancestors? I don’t even like all the things I’m compelled to make, sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, and mince-meat pie, whatever that is. 

Then we start on the cakes and cookies. There has to be chocolate cake, lemon cake, carrot cake and the all southern Red Velvet cake. I don’t even like Red Velvet cake. 

One of my patients said his wife made 800 cookies this week. “800” cookies, what the heck?  I do not even like to make cookies, much less think about eating all the pies, cakes and cookies I killed myself over to make. 

After The Baking

After the hours in the kitchen baking comes all the other crazy things we used to do. I was one of those moms that had to make outfits for my kids. If I didn’t make something the search was on for matching clothes or pajamas.  If I decided to make something I was up till 2:00 am making sure I finished all of the adorable little outfits.  I was a seamstress back then. I enjoyed smocking for my girls and sewing something handsome for the boys. 

By the way, my children get a big laugh out of those clothes I spent many hours worrying about.  I like to get those Kodak moment photos out and display them.  There is always cackling going on when they come home and remember those picture taking times. 

Shopping

Then there was the shopping. You did not have the luxury of going on line and having it shipped to your house the next day. Nooooo, you had to go to the store. Some young thing at work told me one time, “I would NEVER go and wait in line for 2 hours to buy something for my children.” Ha, yes you would baby girl because that is all we had!

I waited in line for 2 hours at a big name store for a Gameboy one year. I finally got to the front of the line and THEY RAN OUT!!! That is a true story. I went home mad, but guess what, that was just one present. I still had 3 other children to shop for and life went on.

We were never extravagant in our gift giving, but we did enjoy buying for our family. It was fun to be Santa Claus. 

I would worry until Christmas Eve and the last store closed, hoping I had the perfect gift for each child under the tree. I still do that in someways today, but I magic of Christmas morning was important to me. That is why I would wait for 2 hours in line to get the one thing someone had asked Santa for. 

Christmas Now

Now that all of my children are married and have their own lives things have changed. It seems like I don’t know what to focus on. My husband asks, “What do you want for Christmas?” My reply, “I don’t know.” I have a really hard time answering that question.

I want my family to be together. Sitting around the table and having a  healthy conversation is my biggest desire. Letting my grandchildren see their aunts and uncles enjoy one another is important to me. Letting my parents sit and relax with them as well is a big deal to me.

I don’t want to be on the crazy train, shopping, baking, or sewing till 2:00 am anymore. Instead of lots of pies and cookies, just a couple will do. I enjoy sitting in front of the fireplace and playing games with family. Drinking apple cider and talking about the Christmas’ we used to have. 

We still spend a lot of time thinking about gifts that are going to be given away and I worry a little about them, but not as much as I used to. 

The New Normal

Duplicating what we used to do is not what I want and now that I have sat here and thought about how crazy it used to be, I realize I don’t want to do that again. When someone says, “That’s why the young have children.” it’s true and that is also how we learn about what is important. 

Living life helps us to learn. Wisdom comes from our experiences. So from my past experience I have learned that time together is important. not all the shopping, baking and sewing. Life is short and that makes time valuable.  Teaching our children to continue on the traditions of getting together and spending time together is what will binds us in the future. 

Focus on The Future Hope

It seems so silly to say,  peace is what I want for Christmas. I hope that future generations will figure things out. That more stuff will not make them happy and that family, friends and people are the most important part of living.  Charlie Brown figured that out, didn’t he?

I still want my grandchildren to enjoy Christmas, but I also want them to know that faith, hope and love should always be the most important part of Christmas.  Focus on the future hope that can only be found in faith. 

Merry Christmas, Honestly Janet

I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world can not give. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

Jesus Christ