It’s funny around X-mas all the sudden you see the world
getting brighter and happier and more giving, and volunteering more and smiling
more and spending more time together and enjoying life more. Almost everyone
gets like this…and I have always stood back a bit and wondered why a little?
For years I thought maybe I just wasn’t as into holidays
that much….or as much as those around me. I thought maybe I was missing out on
something. Then for more years I thought maybe it was because I am not very
religious …..but then I ask myself if the birth of Christ would be the thing
that would make December all around exciting for me?
And don’t get me wrong I love Christmas. Mostly the Dec
24 and Dec 25th when it is
happening. I adore the spending time with our extended family part..I adore
the food…I adore all our traditions like new Christmas Pjs on Christmas Eve and
overflowing stockings. Envelopes in the tree with inheritance money from the three
Grampas….and mochas homebaked by Hubby that was his Mom’s recipe. I love being
in our pyjamas all day long and admiring all the sweet gifts we receive. I love
my Mom sleeping over the night before and my brother and family driving all the
way from Indiana to come and spend there week with us. I adore it.
But the whole month of December getting all super excited
about it? Not so much. Sure the X-mas lights are pretty and lots of Christmas
movies and hot chocolate and skating….BUT…and BIG BUT here ….I realized why the
whole month leading up to Christmas is not that big of a deal to me (or less of
a deal than to so many people I know…and it is because…..
EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND OF THE YEAR IS A HOLIDAY IN MY EYES.
EVERY SINGLE ONE. AND THAT IS WHT HOLIDAYS ARE WONDERFUL BUT NOT AS SUPER
SPECIAL TO ME.
Our goal in life was to make Every weekend super special
for us as a family. Actually not just every weekend but every day in many instances.
Sort of like retirement…we would never be the types to look forward to retirement…just
making every day..or week or month exactly what you want in life. It’s a perspective.
Why wait for retirement or Christmas to maximize joy?
Part of making the huge decision to buy this cottage was
due to that. We wanted every weekend and time off to feel like a real holidays.
Cuddling up by the fire…skating..skiing…hot chocolate ….jacuzzis under the
starts..Saturday night movie and popcorn nights…traditions left right and center
at the cottage….sleeping on bail beds and boating and kayaking and sailing.
Dinners by candlelight and lunch by candlelight…hosting friends and seeing
family. Big ice rink gets together and ski parties. Tobogganing…floating and
songs we sing. Music..great food and wine are plentiful 52 weeks a year. Treats
and candies and special soft drinks for the kids.
And our weeks too are plentiful. We see friends often for
lunches during weeks (well not often but at least once a month!) We have movie
nights and watch Modern Family. My Mom makes dinner for Grammy night for us and
we stay up late and watch documentaries. Sometimes in summer we can have 20
friends at the pool in summer and work the next day.(often actually!)
And amidst all that is the fighting..And whining and
yelling (especially my yelling when we pack or unpack which is every weekend).
There are tears and alienation, sadness and obstacles (big ones!). There is
feeling lost and alone and out of sorts….but we always come back to the good
stuff and make it a priority. Always. Fun and celebration and happiness is at
the top of our priority lists. All for us. The day it isn’t..this family won’t
be the same family. As soon as we see that slipping away we try to get it
back..and quickly.
All that to say “the good stuff” is not just at Christmas.
We aim for it at the same level all the time. And I realize that many people
who get totally excited about Christmas too feel this same way as I do….but
just explains to myself that I am not Ba Humbug at all!! I just have a zest for
52 weeks a year!!!
So yes tonight will sit down together in front of the
fire and watch “A Christmas Carol” or a “Wonderful life”.(although as I speak
all 4 of them are googling most hilarious PG xmas movies to try and get out of
these classic ones that they see at school every year). We did our elf that has
a special treat to munch on with the movie. But tonight won’t be any different than
any Saturday night around here except the theme is Christmas.
And I think I am a bit of a rebel in that way. I like different
things and different traditions. I always had a hard time knowing that everyone
around the world was celebrating Valentine’s Day and love at the same precise
moment we were. Feels odd to know how many people are hiding elves and eating
from advent calendars at the same time. But there are parts of it I love like everyone
else. I love the feeling of Xmas mass …I love the excitement of Xmas morning.
And I love that it is the season to be jolly.
But personally? I try to express Gratitude all year
long…I try to smile often throughout the year….and my resolutions are weekly
and not yearly. I invite my family and friends over all the time and try to do
good deeds as often as I can.Christmas snow not makes me skate any more often
than snow any Sunday and I never need and excuse reading by the fire.
The things that defines Christmas the most for me? (like any
holiday) is the time off from work with less work at work and less work at home
where I can lounge around, sleep in, and read and watch movies (between all the
ski competitions, ski practices, baking, wrapping and entertaining) Like today
took us 5 hrs. to drive up here because we stopped for nuts at the yummy nut
store, and then stopped for zatar sandwiches at the little original Lebanese
place downtown. And took our time. Then at cottage because no homework’s or
schedule watched a ton of old home movies of kiddies growing up and two boys
got up on the roof and shoveled it just for fun. The gift of time is the true gift of Christmas for me. I will take
not having to get up..go anywhere or stick to any schedule for two whole weeks
as my only gift if that is an option. (which will never happen with three kids,
ski competitions, places to be and things to do.. but I will settle for 5 days of unstructured time too!)
Holidays for me are all about family and friends. It has
nothing to do with what we do or how we do it-it has to do with the simple gift
of time together doing whatever we want with less schedules, less restrictions,
more time and more space to just do we love to do ..Individually and together.
And sure those time get hectic too…we get crowded and annoyed…sometimes Hubby
and I wish for a day or an evening off just the two of us…but mostly we are
just plain old content. To be spending this beautiful time every day as a family.
Christmas. Easter. Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, and every day in between.
In this organized chaotic kind of way that we seem to have mastered by now.
Christmas is a beautiful time of year…….in between all the beautiful moments .
