Think Rachelle, Think: December 2016

"Christmas is coming, that happy holiday.

I'm going to celebrate in my own special way!"

When I was a kid we had a tape all about celebrating Christmas all around the world. One of the songs had the above line in it and

I sing it to my kids

over and over.

Those two lines.

They TOTALLY love it when I do that.

Or not.

But it's a bit of a misnomer.

Because Christmas is not all that happy all the time.

It's also stressful, I cry from the anxiety of forced gatherings that I really don't want to attend because I feel like a total loser in certain settings, I have to be super organised,

and how much I am supposed to be donating??!!

I can't donate every time I am asked and

I feel like a jerk saying "No."

But if I said "Yes." every time,

my kids would have nothing Christmas morning!

For real!!

Then there is sorrow from broken relationships and,

to top it all off,

I can't eat the baking I do!!!!

However, this year, after MONTHS of wrestling with how much I

hate, loath, detest and dread Christmas,

I think I have turned a corner.

And the simple truth is,

this year money is not as tight

so Christmas is more fun.

I have tried for years to make Christmas about anything else other than buying presents.

It's about:

family time

Jesus

friend parties

Advent

Christmas music

baking

making presents

watching Christmas movies

going to Christmas concerts

decorating a Christmas tree

skating

tobogganing

But the simple truth is unless your ENTIRE circle of people agrees with Christmas being OTHER than buying gifts,

Christmas is extra hard.

I know AMAZING people who are so against consumerism or are not Christian and stick to their guns and don't engage in Christmas celebrations and/or gift giving and I think they are phenomenal.

Because it's really really hard to tow that line when an entire culture/society is ramming "Christmas is about presents." down your throat.

So back to buying presents.

Ha!

Christmas is about presents.

And Jesus being born.

You cannot separate presents from celebrating Jesus's birth.

I don't care what you say.

I have TRIED and it's impossible.

Unless we ran away for all of December to a country where Christmas is not celebrated. Then I suppose I would believe you that it can happen. Like if you had to hide in your house with all the lights off and quietly sing Away In a Manger.

That scenario I could believe.

I think the tricky bit is trying to stay true to giving gifts out of love, using self-discipline (ie - not going into debt or being super greedy), not buying to the lie of Christmas consumerism and being able to fully embrace the beauty that is celebrating the birth of Jesus.

And I DO believe this is possible.

Christmas is more fun this year because we can afford it.

We can buy our kids a few things they want.

And it's fun to do because we rarely buy them new toys!

Jon and me can get something nice.

And everyone else,

well,

you get what you get from us and you don't get to be upset because we are not Santa and we did our best.

Here's the thing.

I would rather spend my $60 budget on each kid & Jon, bake lots and give it away, buy a few bottles of wine to share with friends and family when they stop by, go to a Christmas eve service or midnight Mass and call it Merry Christmas.

For me, this is a liberated Christmas season.

I am trying to find that illusive middle ground of celebrating Christmas in a way that is true to what I believe is important