So here we are, with a few more days until all hell breaks loose.
What’s upon us?
Why, the holiday season, of course!
I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving has completely snuck up on me this year. In fact, I’m still kind of in denial that it’s happening next week. After Thanksgiving, though, it’s off to the races! Our December calendar is already filling up fast, and I haven’t even taken into account things like shopping, wrapping, baking… or enjoying my family.
Something is holding me back this year, cautioning me against the frenzy, against the onslaught of stuff.
I don’t want the most special season of the year to go by in a blur of rushing, stress and empty cardboard boxes.
A few nights ago I was talking with Kate about the importance of putting our time and resources into experiences rather than into things. I don’t think it completely sunk in, but I want to continue the conversation and figure out how we can make experiences the cornerstone of our holidays, of our family. Honestly, neither of the kids have thought of anything they really, really want to find under the Christmas tree (except a puppy, but that is a conversation for another time), and I kind of want to take advantage of that situation and see if we can’t change the way we approach the whole thing. Not that I’m opposed to presents – I quite like them. But I don’t want to replicate the years that the kids have been inundated with so. much. stuff. that they can’t even remember what they got.
That’s not meaningful for anyone.
So, readers, what do you think? How do you and your family make the most of the holidays? How do you put aside the messages that tell us we need to buy, buy, buy and focus on what actually matters?
That is my goal this year. Remind me of that, okay?
We never did Santa at our house, but they did get one special gift in the spirit of Christmas. They got other little things as well, but really it wasn’t that much stuff maybe 6 gifts total. We also open the gifts one by one and take turns. Our Christmas mornings usually last until the afternoon as we talk about each gift and try to guess what the gift is. I feel that this is important because it helps to focus on each other and you learn about how it is better to give than receive and seeing the joy in each other’s faces as they open gifts is priceless. In fact, now the girls argue about who is going to go last. We bake for the neighbors and friends and work together to get our Christmas card out. We make a point to slow down and just savor the season.
Sounds like if you are thinking about it, that you are on the right track. Not that a crazy free for all on Christmas morning isn’t okay, it just isn’t for my family.
My kids are 26 and 23, they get checks!
I have moved into the bah humbug zone when it comes to Christmas. Too much to do, too much to buy, too much to cook, bake, and too much to eat!
It WAS fun at one time, now it’s just WORK!
What to get is the hardest part.
My favorite part, aside for being showered with gifts, is getting the table pretty. Christmas does bring out the Martha Stewart in me!
UP
When you figure it out, let me know.
Emily, I really like the values that you are teaching your child and the fact that you are taking the time to teach her! Heather’s comment about “better to give than to receive” set me off on a tangent. I have been reading the Bible all of my life and only recently discovered the source of that teaching of Jesus. It is not in one of the four gospels. It is in Acts 20:35. Paul is addressing the elders of the church at Ephesus and said”…we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said:’It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
My imagination takes off and I wonder what apostle or other follower of Christ was there when He spoke those words and years later shared them with Paul.As John said in his gospel, if all of the words of Jesus were written down, there would not be enough books in the world to contain them. Hope nobody minds a Bible lesson today! Love you!
LIKE!
STOP PRESSURING ME
I am currently in the midst of trying to figure out an advent calendar that focuses on activities and giving, rather than gifts. We don’t have any kind of advent calendar yet, so I am starting from scratch. I think I like the idea of hanging colorful baby socks on a clothesline and having a surprise in each one. Instead of presents, it will be slips of paper with holiday activities to do together, or something that involves giving to others. Maybe a couple of small gifts scattered in there, too. I’m going to try to incorporate things that we would have done anyway (baking, wrapping, decorating) along with special fun.
What about adopting a family or a child? Not just toys for tots kind of a thing, but getting a list from a tree and having Kate pick out things on the list. Have her follow it thru with wrapping it and all. Just a suggestion.
That is how the food pantry was born at our church…several of the families at church went together and purchased a Christmas dinner of sorts and took it to a family that had been very ill that year. Dad and I went shopping for everything and then went to deliver it. To see the expression on this family’s faces will live with me forever, I am extremely blessed because of this.