Every twelve months, it comes… The Thanksgiving anticipation, then it's the full launch into Christmas, settled by New Year's and then the lull. Ritual.
our years of celebrating Christmas were based in tradition – the wonderful and the other… we never took pictures of the “other”.
The dilemma is always the amount of effort and the pleasures and memories derived from decorating the house for the holidays. We usually base it on a reason. “We should decorate because we're having a few get together events.” “We should decorate because the grandson is coming.” We should decorate because we would feel weird if we didn't.”
The amount of effort, especially getting into those times where the back hurts, the stooping, the stretching, and all that – it's like you end up feeling like you're in training for a marathon or something. However, the results are truly magical which is the attraction… at least for me… of being in the moments that I absolutely realize may not come around again.
I think of my Dad's last Christmas. Tragic. My Mom had a “spell” and we interrupted the whole celebration by dialing “911”. Ugh. Nobody could have known. But this taught me something. I never wanted to repeat this – to take for granted any holiday – any opportunities to be together with family – because I am too tired or too distracted to celebrate. It takes us back to why we celebrate.
It's about Christmas – not about the whole concept of decorating – but the reason for decorating and getting sucked into the outdo the neighbors and bragging about what you got your grandkids for Christmas. Why are we here to decorate? The mysteries continue to exist. We must believe in order to have faith or maybe the reverse is true. Let's just say, it takes some self-encouragement, but it's a good thing to decorate at least some… because it's a season of hope. And we can always say, “Peace on Earth” and “Goodwill towards humanity”… for those days during Advent. Let's think about celebrating.
Let's think about hope. What Christ brought us was hope.
