If you haven't already noticed, which I'm really sure you probably have, Christmas is just 19 days away. I am usually much more on the ball about things but this year seem to be a little more behind than usual with Christmas preparations. Most of my cards are still not mailed out, I did not get a family Christmas photo taken this year, haven't started with any of the holiday baking, and just started wrapping presents yesterday. The good news? We pretty much finished our shopping yesterday and it felt good to cross that off our list.
And you know what? I really don't mind the slower pace this year. I don't feel hurried and I am able to relax and just enjoy the season. We have driven around in the evening looking at lights, the kids and I have made their Christmas chains (a chain of construction paper, which they tear one chain off every morning and will tear the last one off on Christmas morning). We have been doing family things together and that is what counts, that is what Christmas is about. Each year we are steering more and more away from the gifts and glam of Christmas and focusing more on the meaning of it. It is not about us, it is about Christ and His coming. And I just feel that the true meaning of Christmas has been taken over by greedy souls and hungry stores and turned into something completely different than what it should be.
I'm still getting there, trying to change and focus our family upon what the meaning of the season is about. What are your family traditions that focus on the REAL meaning?
It does feel good having the shopping finished doesn't it!?! It really makes it less stressful. I always have told the boys that Jesus loves them so much that they get presents on His birthday. Then I ask them if they could do that for someone?
ReplyDeleteBecause of our desire to steer the boys away from a gift-centered Christmas and the disappointment of realizing your parents have misled you (even though with all good intentions), the disappointment that Christmas will never be the same, and the magic tarnished, we aren't raising the boys to believe that Santa brings them gifts. We're working on coming up with a different tradition that will be equally special. And so they won't ruin it for other kids, we call the kids from us "Santa" gifts because in tradition that's what Santa did.
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