So, this is Christmas? Mass is done, the meals have been eaten and gifts have been exchanged. Yet, it feels just like another ordinary December day. I suppose it's really just a state of mind. It is just getting to that place that is the difficult part.
It's just difficult to get excited about Christmas. The Nativity Story- it's a tired old story we've no doubt heard hundreds of times. I'm sure that for most of us it is simply another story we gloss over, rather than make an effort to truly meditate upon its meaning as though we were hearing the story for the very first time.
It's difficult to get excited about the gifts. Searching for perfect gifts is a hassle, dealing with crowds and actually devoting the time necessary to make the magic happen is often an insurmountable task, given the demands most of us are under at this "most wonderful time of the year". Receiving gifts is an altogether different story.
Here's my confession: You can breathe a sigh of relief. I believe this is my last rant for the year about Christmas. I know I am blessed beyond measure, both at Christmas and always. I have an abundance of gifts, love and friendships. My material possessions are more than I perhaps deserve. I'm well aware, as I think we all are, that it could all be taken from me in the blink of an eye. I guess what it boils down to is that the "magic" of Christmas has somehow, for me, been stripped away. It is a season approached more with a sense of dread than excitement.
I just have to come to face the truth that the Christmases I experienced in my childhood are part of the past. It is time to move along and create new traditions. My interaction with my family is not as amiable as it once was. My life, in general, is in a state of flux. Many changes loom on the horizon.
So, this Christmas is history. Perhaps the merriment will return next year. Meanwhile, I'll keep in mind the blessings I've received, and have a thankful. I hope your Christmas was full of peace and happiness.
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Ah, Sweetie-when you have to think so hard about being "merry" it never happens. When I can't find something (a gift)for someone who is supposed to be close to me, it means something is up with the relationship. You know what I mean...Yes-the innocence of Childhood Christmases of the Past is gone. It's a difficult thing to embrace, the fact that we know too much, but it really is a growing up thing. I hate it, too. The Nativity story, however, is something that I heard only as a tradition without meaning for years. I never listened with the ears of meaning until I was probably in high school, so it means an awful lot to me now, especially since I've had kids. It's so different for each of us. I will be relived to have it over and have life back to normal. I'm exhausted....
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