Ok.....it may be December but I am in total denial about the season. The music, the lights, the holiday decorations, selecting and (worse yet) decorating the Christmas tree....well, I'm putting it off as long as possible. Call me the Grinch this year. It's just that things feel so rushed and I feel manipulated by the endless reminders that there are only so many shopping days until Christmas. It seems we barely got the kids off to school this fall before the assault of Halloween candy and spooky decorations started. And once October bit the dust, the onslaught of Christmas ads on TV and fat newspapers stuffed with inserts proclaiming huge holiday sales was everywhere before we could even sink our teeth into Thanksgiving. The intensity ramped up exponentially once Turkey Day passed and now we are truly in the thick of it. I'm resisting as long as I can. I still have my lone pumpkin outside the front door, my dining room tablecloth is a luscious rust color and the candles in the shape of fall leaves still sit on the windowsill.
If it weren't for a husband and two children who would never, ever permit a break with tradition, I'd beg for a cabin on the coast or in the woods, with a wood burning fireplace, lots of good food (and my family of course) celebrating the season in a simple way. No gifts required. No fanfare, tension, or stress about fulfilling some visual of the "perfect Christmas". Instead I long for quiet, peace, and thanksgiving for the blessings in our lives and a commitment to honor ourselves, our loved ones, our community and our world as we ease into 2008. I think we've lost touch with the beauty of these few weeks in December and that makes me sad. Outside forces are telling us how to feel, what to do, and how to be.
What's the matter with me? Hopefully the spark will ignite for me soon. There are three people in this house counting on lots of "Ho Ho Ho" this season. Thank goodness none of them reads this blog regularly; otherwise they'd say that "Mom is up to her old tricks". Bah Humbug.....
We've decided to give funds to Heifer this year because we adults really don't need anything. Books are good though. I am not even getting a wreath this year for the first time. I, like you, think it would be great to get back to the yurts - they are warm - and the beaches - they are soul filling - with family, of course.
ReplyDeleteThe worst of all is decorating the Christmas tree? harsh! I was looking forward to that :)
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