So here we are- Christmas is less than a month away now. We are currently still dealing with CoVid 19 which makes many people nervous. Family bubbles are required, masks in stores are mandatory, and many of us are wondering what the next month is going to be like. Will we be able to gather together at the Christmas table? Can we visit grandparents, have our families come see our tree? The truth is – at this point we can only hope. We need to do our part to stop the spread of this virus to more vulnerable people. And at the same time, we need to protect our young children from the stress we feel. Whether Christmas is a religious holiday in your home- or all about Santa Claus- it is still a special time of year that we all celebrate in our own ways.
These uncertain times may make it difficult to really get into the Christmas spirit. We think, ‘I have too much to do, I have to get my shopping done.’ Is that what really matters? Do we really have to get the expensive toys for our children? And should we? Maybe this year we can do a re-set of what the holiday season is in our families. Elf on a Shelf? He can quarantine for a bit. Why put yourself through the extra stress- if that’s what it is to you. We have one word for you- Simplify.
‘Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store- maybe Christmas perhaps
means a little bit more’
What are your memories from your own childhood? Do you remember what you got for Christmas when you were five? Or do you remember the smells of the tree and of Christmas dinner? And then there were the special decorations that only came out once a year -and the lights? Oh the Christmas lights! And the house probably smelled of a combination of orange, cinnamon, cloves and fir - and turkey. Did you have those icicles on the tree that clung to your clothes every time you went near it? Were there special treats that your family only had at Christmas time? Did you watch Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer and A Christmas Story on television- every year? Those are the family memories that stay with you, the ones that bring the warm feeling to your heart when you think of Christmas. The same memories your children will have.
As we look out in our backyard at our Christmas lights, and our decorations we have placed for our children and families to enjoy- it is a magical feeling. When we really stop and take a minute- it's a reminder to relax, breathe and truly enjoy the blessings we have in our lives. We need to keep some form of normalcy in our days leading up to Christmas. Trying to not allow the stress of this virus to overtake the ‘specialness’ of this time of year. Remember back in the spring when we all put Teddy Bears in our windows for children- to give them something to look for on our ‘socially distanced, family bubble’ drives? Well, now we can make new memories. Many people are decorating early this year. Take an evening drive, look at all the beautiful Christmas lights in town, drive around your neighbourhood and see the festive displays.
In these next weeks, slow down, spend time with your child, cuddling, reading a Christmas storybook, watching Rudolph or the Santa Clause, or The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix. Make memories. In years to come, your grown children should not remember Christmas 2020 as the year of the pandemic- but as the special Christmas they spent helping make cookies, singing Christmas carols, putting up decorations and going for drives to see the beautiful lights in town. Let those be the memories they have. Let them remember love.
May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve ~Unknown