Now that Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day have wrapped up, there is only one direction to look toward and that is the upcoming Christmas season.
I’ve always loved Christmas, which sometimes makes me wonder how I married someone who really doesn’t see the excitement in the holiday season. My husband is a bit of a Grinch, and is often taking down the Christmas tree as soon as I head out of the house on Boxing Day.
Most years, he puts his shopping off to the last minute (like many men, I suppose) and he just doesn’t get the fun of Christmas music or holiday movies. But, the other day, he did admit to me that Christmas is a lot more fun now that we have children. Maybe this is also a result of the nearly 10 years I’ve spent pushing him to love Christmas.
There is no denying that seeing the excitement on our oldest son’s face last year when he got his email video from Santa was something to treasure. Watching the boys excitedly open presents on Christmas Eve, which is tradition in our house, is always a good time.
Of course, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the story of why we celebrate Christmas and going to church on Christmas Eve. As much as I love all the hoopla that goes along with Christmas, it’s important to remember why we celebrate the holiday season. And remembering why I celebrate Christmas, for me, keeps the holiday stress down a few notches, that’s for sure.
This year, we decided to try to limit the gift-giving a bit in our house. Our children most certainly do not need anything, but we’re sticking to giving them one gift from Santa that they really want. I’m already done shopping for my oldest son, and I’m sure if I pick up a few barnyard animals and new toy trucks, my two-year-old will be incredibly happy. I might even decide to throw in a box of Lucky Charms cereal to make his day really special.
Although gifts are fun, I think even as young children, we realize it’s the idea of Christmas and the time spent with family and friends that makes the holiday season so special. Last week, as I was working on a story about this year’s popular toys, someone recommended we do a story about a local person who has started a tradition with her family to do a random act of kindness for each of the 25 days leading up to Christmas.
The funny thing is that this local person happens to be a friend of mine, and I can personally say I love what she’s doing with her family. Her children get excited about doing nice things for people, and are engaged in the process, which is fun to see even from an outsider’s perspective. I’m sure it’s even more memorable and fun as a parent.
As busy as life can be, especially around the holiday season, I hope we all take time to step away from the superficial things that can make Christmas a stressful time, and instead take a step toward a season that is fun, and filled with goodness and love.
