The Perfect Christmas? Does it exist and how do I get one?
“We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls.”
― Bill Bryson
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I have been away for a bit, experiencing perhaps a mild case of blogger’s flu. I have been rather neglectful and I have been spending more time in what has been described by some as the “real world”. The holidays approach like a glittery freight train. I am standing on the tracks with empty shopping bags.
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“What do you mean you haven’t started Christmas shopping you foolish woman?”
Santa scolds in a mocking voice before it runs me over…
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I am standing in what would be described as your typical American Mall during the holiday rush. Two days to go in fact! The place is abuzz with the collective energy of hundreds of shoppers and various others who for various reasons of their own have decided to visit this shiny tribute to consumerism on this gloriously cold and frosty day in late December.
I relish the excitement and I enjoy the people who also enjoy this type of activity. We are a motivated lot; we of the last-minute. Our ranks include all walks of life, who for some reason, whether by uncontrollable circumstance, ingrained strains of procrastination or perhaps just by design have seen fit to shop during these last days before “The Big Day”.
I try not to get hung up in all the stress and the drama of the season. As we file past the endless streams of people I can hear snippets of conversation, much of it is stress-filled and contains the phrase; two days left.
A lot of expectations are put onto this holiday and it is an emotional and very stressful time of the year. I try to have a good time wherever I go and not to let things get to me. This is easier said than done and it has taken me many years to cultivate this attitude. I remind myself that December 25th is just a day and will pass soon enough, what really matters is the everyday. Today, December 23rd is important as well. It is important to me that I am able to be out here with my beautiful daughter wandering around in all this mayhem, talking, laughing, eating surprisingly good Japanese food and having a wonderful time of it.
All in all, December 25th shows up regardless of whether we are ready for it or not…somehow every year it all works out. Nothing is ever perfect. This day is no exception and in no way should it be.
We should NOT get everything we want.
We are bombarded with messages at this time of year. Images of glittery perfection. The silver Lexus in the driveway with the giant red bow. The beautiful and well-behaved children delighting in getting everything they want. The savvy shopanista hunting down one-of-a-kind bargains, playing the perfect hostenista, finding it all and having it all…
I think the holiday season affects us more than all the others combined and I think we inject needless stress into it. Society and the media set impossibly high expectations that no real person can attain. No matter how hard we try we cannot have “the perfect holiday” because it does not exist.
No moment should be perfect. I mean, where do we go from perfect?
Many say this day has become too commercialized. This is a understatement.
Many say we have forgotten the true meaning of the day…this too is an understatement.
I don’t really care if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays. I am just glad to be acknowledged in such a positive manner. Whatever you call the day, however you want to celebrate it matters not to me. If anything can be gleaned or gained from all this ado, it is the perfect excuse to get together with those we love. Hopefully to break bread and to partake of each others company. This day is a day for peace, love, understanding, tolerance and compassion. It is not a day to tell anyone how to think or feel or how to celebrate. This I believe.
And I am grateful for what I have, for my friends and family. I am grateful to be able to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. I am grateful to have my health and the free will to follow my dreams.
We all live together on this amazing planet, it is our home. To embrace each other is the true meaning of this day. We are all brothers and sisters, today, and everyday. We all sit together…and there is room at the table for us all; Jesus, Santa, you and I and Seven Billion others.
If I could receive any gift this holiday it would be for us all, every single one of us to realize that
We belong to each other.
Thank you my friends for showing up and reading what I write and leaving such intelligent and thoughtful comments. I’d be all alone out here if it wasn’t for you. My very best wishes to you and yours.
I’m so glad to see you back writing. Your words always make me smile and laugh and almost always relate on some level. You again have put into perfect words the way it all feels this time of year. I chuckle at the harried Christmas buzz at the malls, I swear people do this on purpose so they can feel accomplished. With the internet, there is NO reason for anyone to flood the stores last minute and break their backs with 200lb bags slamming into eachother and cursing the holiday.. that is ‘their’ holiday, ‘their’ stress, ‘their’ choice. I enjoy the decorations at the malls. They have budgets far larger than mine and hire seasoned designers especially hired to ‘catch my eye’ and they do. I love the trees, the lights, the perfectly placed enormous ornaments and the music piped in from every direction. I ‘take what I need’ and leave the rest. After years of experience with stress, I chose joy and serenity. I hope we see you more often and your blog flu is recovering 🙂
Hello Kim, I am glad to be back writing and glad to see you here. Now that Christmas is over and the New Year is on it’s way, things should die down a bit. haha hopefully anyway. I will have to pop over and see you at your place. 🙂
A most happy Christmas, and Christmas eve, and the other 363 days to you as well, Nancy! I agree that we hang too much on this one day of the year – it is supposed to be the Christmas season, after all. Not everything has to be Bing Crosby perfect on Wednesday. If we can share the day with those we love and who love us back despite ourselves, what more do we need to make it perfect?!?
(I think I’ve had the blogger flu as well. Let’s hope we both recover for the new year!)
Hey Janet! So nice to see you my friend. And Happy Christmas to you too, that’s how I tend to say it as well; Happy Christmas. How about that flu huh? That pesky “real life” getting in the way? 😉
“Real” life indeed sucked up all my creative juices. I am enjoying a break from practicing and performing these weeks between Christmas and mid-January. I have some posts ideas that I plan to make happen while I am not madly learning music. Oh, and there is that knitting fever that continues to take time away from other pursuits. One more Xmas present to deliver, and then I’ll post some pictures. I hope you had a happy un-perfect Christmas!
Quite an enjoyable post. That glittery train hits me every year. At some point, I just throw up my hands and flow with it. It never seems like enough until the person is opening the gifts. You realize they are happy with whatever it is you got them because they love you. All that worry for nothing.
You have the right attitude about it Missy. It has taken me years to get the way I am now. When my kids were younger I went crazy full into it and then afterward I would collapse.
Funny, we write about the same topic today. We have pretty much the same topic. I couldn’t agree more, that there is way too much money spent on this holiday to get it perfect. Frustrating! Hope you have a Merry Christmas. If I saw you on a street, I would smile. You would be acknowledged.
Hello Jill: Very cool; having the same topic. Great minds think alike eh? Merry Christmas to you! and I would smile back by the way and buy you a cup of coffee. 🙂
Well done. You found the light behind the glitter that blinds.
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Watch for the post-Christmas rush in the sales, which is a big thing here in the UK.
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Hey Alex, I’m watching those sales and have even been to a few, they are big here in the US as well. I hope your Christmas went well. 🙂
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You have a beautiful writing style! And I agree, it’s never flawless, but somehow it always ends up perfect 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful one!
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Hello Kristen: Christmas was fantastic–Peaceful, very nice. I hope yours was too. 🙂
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I’m so glad to see you back writing. Your words always make me smile and laugh and almost always relate on some level. You again have put into perfect words the way it all feels this time of year. I chuckle at the harried Christmas buzz at the malls, I swear people do this on purpose so they can feel accomplished. With the internet, there is NO reason for anyone to flood the stores last minute and break their backs with 200lb bags slamming into eachother and cursing the holiday.. that is ‘their’ holiday, ‘their’ stress, ‘their’ choice. I enjoy the decorations at the malls. They have budgets far larger than mine and hire seasoned designers especially hired to ‘catch my eye’ and they do. I love the trees, the lights, the perfectly placed enormous ornaments and the music piped in from every direction. I ‘take what I need’ and leave the rest. After years of experience with stress, I chose joy and serenity. I hope we see you more often and your blog flu is recovering 🙂
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Hello Kim, I am glad to be back writing and glad to see you here. Now that Christmas is over and the New Year is on it’s way, things should die down a bit. haha hopefully anyway. I will have to pop over and see you at your place. 🙂
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Happy Holidays, Strawberryindigo 🙂
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Hey Niaaeryn, what a whirlwind Christmas was…Hope it was good for you. 🙂
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Enjoyed this post a lot! Happy Holidays to you.
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Thanks Cherie, Happy HolidaYs to you too!
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Merry Christmas, Nancy!!!!!
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A most happy Christmas, and Christmas eve, and the other 363 days to you as well, Nancy! I agree that we hang too much on this one day of the year – it is supposed to be the Christmas season, after all. Not everything has to be Bing Crosby perfect on Wednesday. If we can share the day with those we love and who love us back despite ourselves, what more do we need to make it perfect?!?
(I think I’ve had the blogger flu as well. Let’s hope we both recover for the new year!)
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Hey Janet! So nice to see you my friend. And Happy Christmas to you too, that’s how I tend to say it as well; Happy Christmas. How about that flu huh? That pesky “real life” getting in the way? 😉
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“Real” life indeed sucked up all my creative juices. I am enjoying a break from practicing and performing these weeks between Christmas and mid-January. I have some posts ideas that I plan to make happen while I am not madly learning music. Oh, and there is that knitting fever that continues to take time away from other pursuits. One more Xmas present to deliver, and then I’ll post some pictures. I hope you had a happy un-perfect Christmas!
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My Christmas was peaceful Janet and I enjoyed the hell out of that. Missed you, glad you are back. 🙂
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a very nice Wednesday 25th December to you too Nancy! Thanks for another thought-provoking post… Hugs! xx
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Cathy! Merry Christmas to you my friend. My best wishes to you and your family. {{{hugs}}}
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Buon Natale di cuore carissima e dolce Amica!
Un abbraccio
Claudio
( Ora sono qui: http://claprof.wordpress.com/ )
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Le mie migliori pensieri e auguri a voi Claudio.
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Quite an enjoyable post. That glittery train hits me every year. At some point, I just throw up my hands and flow with it. It never seems like enough until the person is opening the gifts. You realize they are happy with whatever it is you got them because they love you. All that worry for nothing.
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You have the right attitude about it Missy. It has taken me years to get the way I am now. When my kids were younger I went crazy full into it and then afterward I would collapse.
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Funny, we write about the same topic today. We have pretty much the same topic. I couldn’t agree more, that there is way too much money spent on this holiday to get it perfect. Frustrating! Hope you have a Merry Christmas. If I saw you on a street, I would smile. You would be acknowledged.
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Hello Jill: Very cool; having the same topic. Great minds think alike eh? Merry Christmas to you! and I would smile back by the way and buy you a cup of coffee. 🙂
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Happy Holidays to you, dear Nancy! I look forward to your wise and wonderful words in the year ahead. 🙂
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awwww Gunta, thanks friend. 🙂
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I totally agree with you! Christmas is December 25th, don’t stress it happens every 365 days. Have a good one!
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You too Brandi. 🙂
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Not just for the holidays, may you have wonderful days ahead.
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Thanks Disperser. My best wishes to you and your family. 🙂
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