Well, that's what they say. The most wonderful time of the year. I'm pretty sure we Americans have been buying into and promoting the unachievable hype for the last hundred years or so.
Why are we dreaming of a white Christmas, for instance? Not because that's how Jesus started out.
Why do we insist on spending too much money on too many gifts our families don't need? Not because of our faith or religious beliefs.
Why do we get depressed when the holidays are all over and our bloated expectations are deflated while our bloated bellies are not? Not because we look forward to disappointment.
This year our family came together to celebrate my son's graduation and Christmas on the 14th and 15th rather than the 25th. Because of this earlier date all my last minute shopping was eliminated. Ran out of time. Overspending on presents far decreased but more planning went into the gifts. And the stress and panic of getting Christmas day "perfect" was not there, just because we held it on a different day, an earlier day and I looked at things a little differently. This year my focus was on having my little family together (including new grandson!). I can't remember enjoying a brunch with my immediate family, the chaos of 17 people for Christmas dinner or after dinner games and visiting more than I did this year.
And today, 2 days before so many will be celebrating their Christmas I am relaxing, grateful there is no stressful holiday approaching and I'm dreaming of a way to make my future Christmases more about love and kindness and less about what the retailers, movies and hallmark cards have imposed on our Christmas season.
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