Now that Thanksgiving is over it’s full steam ahead to the next big holiday. And for me it’s even more complicated because all three of my children have birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So once I’m done with one event, it’s time to prep for the next one. Today, as I recuperate from Thanksgiving, I’m thinking about what to get my daughter for her birthday, wondering what type of cake she wants and worrying that her small bonfire scheduled for Saturday night will go viral on Facebook. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around pulling out the Christmas decorations.

Lately, I find myself moving through the holiday season singularly focused on checking things off my list rather than enjoying any of it. I can’t tell you how many time ‘Bah-humbug’ has been on the tip on my tongue. And it surprises me because this used to be my favorite time of the year.

I loved the parties, the decorations, the food and even the music. I wore holiday socks, and admittedly Christmas sweaters. And while I’m glad to be over the Christmas sweater phase of my life, I’m saddened to have become one of those people who mumbles under their breath about the stores decorating too soon and the incessant Christmas music. I don’t want to be that person.

What do I need to do to get in the spirit of the season?

Maybe I need to change my approach to my to-do list. What if I paid more attention to festivities than checking things off my list? What if I allowed myself to stand in awe of the twinkle of Christmas lights against the darkness of night? What if I got all dolled up in party clothes just fun? Okay, maybe that’s a little weird. Though this is the perfect season for me to stop taking myself so seriously.

I know part of the problem with the holidays is the rampant commercialism. Retailers want us to believe the only way to show our affection for our friends and family is through expensive gifts. And while getting and receiving gifts can be a lot fun, what we enjoy the most is spending time with the people we love.

I’m reminded of one Christmas years ago when I was a junior in high school. My parents were separated. My sister and I lived with my mother in a townhouse not too far from my father. I remember worrying about my family not being all together for Christmas. I’m not sure if the separation was part of her motivation, but my mother decided we should make Christmas cookies, which was something she had never done before. My mother wasn’t fond of  Christmas and wasn’t shy about letting you know. She did what she had to do, but it wasn’t particularly festive or jolly. Anyway, because we had no real reference, we decided to make several different types of cookie, many of which were over our skill set. We wasted lots of sugar and butter that night, but there was also lots of laughter. We made these candy-cane shaped sugar cookies that had way too much peppermint sugar on the outside. They were pretty, but tasted awful. Christmas cookies always remind me of how happy I felt that night.

 
The spirit of the season is found in the tender moments we spend with the people we love. So instead of worrying about my next task or the fact that I will most probably have thirty plus teenagers at my house on Saturday, I’m pulling out the sugar and the butter and having a little fun.

Snowmen, bells, and candy cane sugar cookies. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)