Friday, December 08, 2006

DISCLAIMER

Okay, now that Kasey has outed me as a person who "hates" Christmas, I need to offer this disclaimer. I love so much about the Christmas season-the smells, the songs, the decorations, the way people are so much happier and nicer to each other and, of course, all the yummy food!! I love that it is the time of year when so may people try to be more Christ-like and think about Him and the exemplarary life he led. What I don't like is how Santa has become the man of the season and gift giving and receiving the main event. What I don't love is the way it's commercialized and how women, especially, feel they have to do it all: decorate to the hilt, get out the proverbial Christmas letters with cards, shop for everyone, do the grocery shopping and cooking, clean, figure out what unique item to get friends, neighbors and relatives, and then wrap them up beautifully, etc, etc, etc. I have spent many a season trying to make the season "magical" for everyone else and ended up stressed and exhausted and not enjoying it at all. My message for all is: It is a wonderful, magical time of the year-just don't make yourself believe that you have to do everything to make it such. Maybe one year you concentrate on decorating, the next year cooking, the next year the cards and letters. Give yourself a break and permission to enjoy the season too. When I quit doing the cards and letters, made a deal with friends to not do the perennial gift giving to each other and decided to cut back on my decorating I found I had more time to read about Christ (the reason for the season), meditate about peace on earth and especially peace with my relationships and look for ways to serve and give to others in simple ways. I have given myself permission to really enjoy the holidays without having to be Perfect Pam. So if you are feeling stressed, cut out some of the busy-ness and have a Merry Christmas!

P.S. My idea of a great Christmas would be to just have family all together, share a great meal (sounds like Thanksgiving-my favorite holiday) and spend all the money we'd spend on presents on adopting a child from World Vision or some other worthy organization. Just a thought,family, for a future Christmas.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm all for that gift. I say we implement it Pammy. Good post! Amen to everything you said.

Anonymous said...

Oops. Sorry Mom! Didn't mean to imply you "hate" Christmas. I just wanted to convey that the stress and hustle and bustle of the holidays can overshadow the true meaning of Christmas. Which in turn, makes Christmas just another time where women get to do EVERYTHING! I totally agree with you about downsizing the holidays and getting back to the basics. It is supposed to be about Jesus, right? NOT Santa, cards, gifts, etc. Love your idea, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Mom-very inspiring post...made me want to run down to deseret book and get a book about Chrits. Which in fact I know it is probably a little late but I would love the book by Henry B. Eyring called because he first loved us. I think I am gunna go by it on Monday. Did you buy any good books while you were here or know of any good church books I should read. I need some good reading material. This has nothing to do w/ your post but on the subject of books...there is a book called Reading Lolita in Tehran...it is suppose to be really good. Let's buy it over Christmas and both read it. I love your idea of using Christmas money to adopt a child. I think I will implment that idea into my life in the future. you are awesome mom!

Anonymous said...

Alex, I read Reading Lolita in Tehran and only got about halfway through it when I realized it had taken me a month to get just that far! It's not a long book, I just wasn't that into it. You'll have to let me know what you think of it if you read it. My main problem was that it is about a reading group that gets together and discusses a few books by certain authors and I had only read a few of the books they talked about. Good luck with it though, maybe you'll like!

Anonymous said...

Amazing post, thanks for that.

Anonymous said...

I am feeling the same way you do about Christmas this year. Maybe its because we are sisters and want everything to be perfect. I am trying to not be so stress out. Julie