Christmas Quickie: Enjoy The Season

Merry Christmas! My relationship with Christmas has been a roller coaster ride over the course of my life. I was enthralled with it as a young boy, filled with excitement for Santa to bring us presents; it seems unlikely that this is unique to me!

I remember it being early to mid-December and being so excited for Christmas to come, but it seemed like an eternity away. I was determined to bridge that time as quickly as possible. I recognized that time seemed to move incredibly quickly when I was sleeping, so my plan was to sleep and nap as much as possible to get Christmas here faster. I was obsessed with getting fast results from a young age! I implemented napping not only for myself but for my siblings as well, but it didn’t last long; the excitement was overwhelming.

As I grew older and left home, it became a time to return and visit with family and friends I hadn’t seen much—lots of parties, socializing, and good fun. It became less about Christmas and gifts and more about community. As I continued to mature (relatively speaking), fewer friends and family gathered, and it became a more lonely time. The magic of giving and socializing wasn’t as strong as it once was, and I hadn’t yet fully connected with the spiritual meaning of Christmas.

A lot changed when we had kids, and the excitement returned, but it wasn’t the same as before. The significance of gifts and material obsession was replaced by a deeper understanding of the meaning of the season, and I had renewed excitement to instill this connection with my kids. I have grown increasingly frustrated with the commercial nature of Christmas because it truly is a significant distraction from its true purpose. However, I try to allow the kids to enjoy it in balance with pursuing a deeper understanding of Christmas.

Now my expectations for Christmas are minimal, and that has been a tremendous gift!. The entire season had become about preparation for the big morning—opening gifts, deciding if the sweater fits or should be a size smaller (or bigger after turkey), and all the trimmings that come along with the day. But like so much of life, when we focus on the destination, it tends to disappoint us when we arrive and things aren’t exactly as we pictured. We may have spent the past few weeks running around like mad trying to find the perfect gifts, the right size of turkey, and the perfect socks to put in the stockings, and now one family member can’t make it, I got the wrong color of socks in my stocking, or God forbid, the turkey is dry. It’s a disaster.

I now embrace the season for what it is: a time to throttle back a touch and connect with family or whoever happens to be available, a time to reflect on the past year and all its accomplishments, and a time to contemplate the true meaning of the season and my relationship with God.

It isn’t the most wonderful day of the year; it is the most wonderful time of the year. So enjoy it all, whatever it may bring. Enjoy the drive between families for gatherings or the solitude of a good book by the fire (that’s where you’ll find me), play games, and relax. It’s been a great year, and you deserve it!

Before you know it, the calendar will flip to 2025. The thought of January may make you bristle, but in a few days, I will share some of my tips on how I have made January one of my favorite months of the year. 2024 was great, and 2025 will be better! The best is yet to come!

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