I can't believe it's over... the nice holiday cheer... the shopping for that perfect gift... the talk about Christ and the manger....in the blink of an eye it's over and everyone but me seems to be anxious to get back to the same old grind. I just don't get it! The build up of the holidays seems to lead up to a cliff that everyone seems so anxious to jump off! lol Why would you want to just pack it all away the day after... why not saver it for a few days at least.... take some time to wind down and enjoy a few days of quiet enjoyment before jumping back into the day-to-day bustle of normal everyday activities? It just makes me so sad to hear people saying that it's so great to have it all over with... on the day of Christmas... or that they can't wait to "reclaim" their houses the very next day! Am I the only one that wants to at least wait till the new year to enjoy the holiday season?
In a world where you can buy Christmas decorations in June and they have Valentine's goodies out the week before Christmas... don't you just want to go against the flow and enjoy the holiday for what it is before moving on to the next one? As for me.... I will fight to keep this warm and cozy feeling in our house for as long as I can... I love the added light that the decorations bring to the house and I want my girls to learn to savor this time not cast it aside as some silly ritual that we do simply to be going thru the motions...Just because Christmas is passed doesn't mean that winter is over and it doesn't mean that we are ready to get back into the more fast paced days of spring and summer that will surely be here before we know it! I just want to take the time to breath.... to enjoy watching the girls play with their new treasured toys... to take joy in the quiet of a cold morning and a good cup of coffee sipped by the light of the Christmas tree... I am not in a hurry to banish this season of comfort and joy...I want to soak it in and keep it with me throughout the year... not rush off to yet another over commercialized holiday that seems to be losing it's meaning a little more each year...I want to take it slow and enjoy what is left of this year because as time tends to go... the new year will be here before we know it and with it it will bring a whole year full of holidays and other events to fill our days.
I guess what I'm really saying is, I wish this holiday could BE more... MEAN more and be ENJOYED more by people... if it really is the important holiday that it is... why would anyone want it to be over? Isn't it just making it about the presents if the Christmas season is over the moment they are open? Hmm... just a thought... maybe it's me that is holding on to it for too long but for some reason this whole topic makes me think of the Casting Crowns song "Slow Fade". Now, I know that song isn't about Christmas... but if you listen to the words it could be... if you give yourself away... not holding true to the meaning of the season then it's just a slow fade of falling into the general public's view of it...
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
... I just want to be sure we are celebrating for the right reasons... and don't want to fall into that grey.... ya know? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this...am I off my rocker?
3 comments:
Totally with ya on this! I've noticed everyone seems in a huge rush to be done with Christmas- which is so sad! I wish we could carry the same attitude and feelings all through the year!
I love that song by Casting Crowns, and I don't think you're "off your rocker" one bit! I'm not Catholic, but I have adopted some of the Christmas traditions that are more commonly observed in the Catholic church, such as observing Christmas until Epiphany, and Advent, for the very reasons you explain here.
I absolutely agree with you. Christmas time turns into such commercialism and often kids and adults only see it as buying and receiving gifts...It's so much more...if we would all just stop the rush to observe the beautiful, quiet peace of the holiday--the message filled with love, compassion, and hope.
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