As Cindy Lou Who sang in the 2000 edition of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Where are you Christmas? Why cant I find you? Why have you gone away? My world is changing. Im rearranging. Does that mean Christmas changes too? Although I realize that my outlook on holidays will continually change while I am growing up, I am currently struggling with the spirit of Christmas. Where has it gone?
Back in my younger days, I was ready for Christmas three weeks before Thanksgiving. Christmas carols were joyous and never-ending, and the wonderful scent wafting from the goodies in the kitchen was enough to keep my heart content for days. I was steadily in anticipation of Christmas and all of the tradition and meaning that accompanied it. Nowadays, my busy schedule seems to have me on edge, and the spirit of Christmas seems somewhat nonexistent. Sure, my family was a little behind on decorating, and maybe that has something to do with it. Everything and everyone just seem rushed. So many people become absorbed in the hustle and bustle that they forget what Christmas is truly celebrating.
This year, up until recently, I have been guilty of this as well. The Christmas spirit seemed to be hiding, maybe with all of the gifts hidden around the house. Either way, because I was craving the magic of Christmas, I set out to find it. Guess what I found. . .
Christmas is never the same. It changes from year to year, but the way we approach it can make or break our experience. If we encourage the idea of caroling around the neighborhood for hours in the freezing cold, a spark may arise. If we choose to help the family make Christmas cookies and put up decorations, magic will be made, but if we choose to do something else because it would be a better way to spend our time, we will end up missing the magic, and our Spiritometer will be empty.
I do believe that come Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, the magic will be unavoidable. Regardless of age, we all lose ourselves in the excitement of waking up to find piles of presents under the tree, especially when where they came from really is a mystery. Getting together with family for more gifts, delicious food, and hours of board games and sports programs never gets old. We all return to the spirit of Christmas. The key is to look for it in the right places, and once it has been found, cling tight to it.
If you are missing the spirit of Christmas, get off your computer, and go find it. Spend time with loved ones, and indulge in the thousand calorie treats sitting in the kitchen. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you carry the magic of Christmas within your heart. Open your heart up, and share the joy of Christmas with the ones you love because we all get caught up in the hustle and bustle sometimes. And, so its been said many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to you!
