This year's Christmas season was sort of mixed for me. I was looking forward to Christmas like I always do, but I never really got the butterflies in my stomach or felt the magic -- even on Christmas Eve. Is that an adult thing? The weight of the world becomes so heavy that you focus more on how much it's going to cost, or worrying that you didn't get enough presents for your nephew to open? When I was little I used to get so excited on Christmas Eve I would eat way too much and throw up. I threw up three years in a row! Now I'm a little better at controlling my portions (although I think I'm still working off that "baby" fat), so I haven't vomited in a while. I also used to be the first one up, rousing everyone out of bed so we could get the party started. One year I woke up at 1 a.m. and tried to wake up my brother, Dallace. I played out in my mind how my mom would tell our neighbors that crazy ol Lindsay woke us all up in the middle of the night and we had Christmas PRETTY early. Well, that plan didn't really work. No one wanted to get up -- Dallace just rolled over again. And I eventually went back to sleep.
These days I cover my face with a pillow and pray for a few more minutes, then I get grumpy with everyone for not starting Christmas fast enough so I could go to work. Where did my Christmas spirit go? Do I need to go work at a soup kitchen or something to remember what it's like to feel peace and joy? Do I need to make all my presents by hand to make them more meaningful? What's the secret, Santa?
2 comments:
Now I always thought the actual Santa hat was the key to Christmas spirit. .. Guess not. I recommend more giving of baked goods. (I'm not joking). I didn't really start to groove on Christmas this past year until I started making the plates of goodies to pass out. The kids and I drove them around to friends and neighbors (sans caroling; that would be too pathetic) and listened to "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Feliz Navidad" over and over. It was friggin' merry!
You make a pretty good point. Mindy (my sister) and I spent a day together making holiday goodies, and just had a blast. Mostly because neither of us really knew what we were doing. I had never made peppermint bark before, she'd never made popcorn balls before. We helped each other handle the stress by using a code: "It's panic time!" and we would spring into action. It was pretty fun, and I liked giving out the treats to my co-workers. And I definitely let them know I had made the treats myself!
Post a Comment