Christmas is upon us! As soon as Canadian thanksgiving is over (mid October), I begin to think Christmas - it's my favorite holiday. And once we've passed Remembrance Day, I begin to put thoughts in action. Some people scoff when I put the wreath on the door Nov 12th. But really! There isn't a lot of time to accomplish what I want to do between Nov 11th and Dec 25th. And I derive so much joy from the preparations and the sharing. For me, being a Christian is not just about going to church on Sunday, and celebrating Christmas is not just about Dec 25th!
It's my feeling that Christmas traditions are extremely important to ones family. They add richness and depth; they not only build memories, but more importantly, they give roots to ones life and create connections that span the miles and the years. You can be set apart by your differences from the family next door and yet joined together by your sameness. You can be unique and yet still fit in. It's another part of what defines us as "Our Family".
Over the holidays, I often ask people, "What are your family traditions during Christmas?" And I love hearing the answers. As I age ... and the children grow and mature and leave the nest ... and I open up my house to share Christmas with those who don't have close family ... I not only share our traditions but will sometimes incorporate their traditions into the festivities. I'm constantly looking for ways to add to what is called "the season of joy and peace".
It doesn't matter to me that this season came out of a pagan festival. Nor does it matter that Dec 25th isn't really the birth day of Jesus Christ. My God was first. He is the origin - the source - the creator; and everything else was taken from His creation and is a reproduction. Just like my faith, the birth of Jesus is personal for me and deserves to be celebrated every bit as much as my own or my childrens' birth days. Jesus came to reconcile us to each other. And what better way for reconciliation to happen than doing things like sharing cookies with a non-Christian neighbour, or eating rugelach with a Jewish friend, or carolling with your church family - joining in with other during this season!
Over the next 27 days of preparations, let me share some of our traditions with you. In this time of personal "flux", I'm curious to see what my aging body and mind will permit me to bring to the Xmas table this year. I may not be able to climb to put the exterior Xmas lights up anymore; and yes, I know that when I eat that other piece of pie, it will stay with me. But those things are becoming more and more irrelevant in my life.
As Christmas approaches, I'm so full of thoughts and plans and excitement! So ...... think of my mind as a goose ... and it's a gettin fat!
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1 comment:
Love your blog title. Yes, it's so hard to keep of the extra pounds as you age. I broke my foot in March and gained twenty-five pounds. I still have about thirteen pounds left to lose. I wish I was young and could eat everything in sight like I used to do.
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