As my Christmases become more senescent, I think more about the fact that God only gives us so many Christmases to celebrate if we live the average life expectancy in our country.
With each Christmas,
people should not be looking for gifts, but should be thankful for being
because life is a perfect gift for each of us, we should be grateful for what
we have and for our families.
As a child, living
under an atheist, communist regime, I decorated our pine Christmas tree with ornaments
I made from colorful crepe paper and filled them with candy. I strung a garland
made from shiny paper links glued together, the occasional cookie, an apple, a
rare chocolate bar, and an orange. A few expensive glass ornaments were handled
with care and hung on the more solid branches. Metal holders with small red
candles were clipped to the outer branches. I was allowed to light up a few on
Christmas Eve while mom supervised, to make sure that the tree and our
apartment did not catch fire.
As I
decorate our Christmas tree, it takes us much longer than it used to. We start early and do a little bit each day
and it may take two-three days, but the final result is beautiful. I take down
a few boxes of ornaments and realize that I have collected way too many over
the years, but which ones do I discard? Some have special meanings, and it is
hard to part with them.
Gone are the
live blue spruce trees that Mr. Alan used to set up in our living room year
after year. Mr. Alan is smiling from Heaven because our tree is now artificial.
His trees smelled so fresh and divine
and filled our house with the scent of Christmas and the visions of frost, icicles,
and snow.
We watered
the tree daily but our Tiger, a bottomless ‘camel,’ drank as much water as we
added. At least he did not try to eat the ornaments or climb the tree to chew
on the electric wire and lights. When the needles started falling, the wonderful
fir smell persisted for a short while. Despite vacuuming, we still found sharp
fir needles on the carpet late into the summer.
Christmas is
a different time for many people. But the left has tried to diminish and destroy
it by introducing the Elf on the Shelf and the non-Christian Kwanzaa started in
1966 after the Watts riots.
On a recent
trip to Disney World, although there were a few large fir trees with ornaments and
red and pink poinsettias everywhere, there was no reference to Christmas at all
but there was ample reference to Kwanzaa. A black choir sang on a large stage,
entertaining visitors, and advertised Kwanzaa celebration on December 26. No
mention whatsoever of Christmas.
The joyous
Merry Christmas has been replaced by Happy Holidays, in a progressive attempt
to be “inclusive,” and now by “Merry & Bright.” I am personally confused
what is “merry” and what is “bright,” but it does not seem to bother other
people who go about their daily lives ignoring it, until the ‘Merry Christmas’ practice
disappears completely. The stores look bleak, almost no decorations to remind
people of the celebration of a very important tradition for the western world –
Christmas.
It is a special
day for Christians and a spectacular day for all children around the world.
They wait with bated breath for old man Santa Claus with his white beard and
Ho, Ho, Hos, to bring them some desired toy they wanted all year long. This magical
man embodied the selfless act of giving:
toys, food, warm clothes, health, love, familial peace, friendship, and
joy.
The flying Santa
Claus is a tradition, an idea, and a miracle man who can make that special wish
come true for all children of the world, small and grown.
Christmas is
now for me a time of reflection of our past, present, and the future. The
previous Christmases have flown by, with my small family around a table laden
with food and our happy children with their toys, and now alone with my
husband.
Instead of
giving gifts to baby Jesus each year, we chose the less fortunate children who placed
their wishes in the Angel Tree at our local mall, and we gave gifts to children
who eagerly expected the miraculous Santa to visit them while they slept
peacefully in their beds.
Like them, we
do not have much family left and those remaining are scattered around the globe. Only the idea of instantaneously traveling Santa
Claus with his magical sleigh and the amazing flying reindeer could reach them
all. Santa can squeeze through any
chimney, avoid any fire, open any door, and eat billions of cookies left by children
eager to please him.
But in the
material chase to bring happiness to others and especially to children, we
forget the simple pleasures of Christmas, love, laughter, being here and now, songs, prayer, and the presence of God in our lives.
Photo copyright: Ileana Johnson
This holiday is to remind us again of our blessed Savior's birth & His mission to give us eternal life. I'm alone now, but I still decorate with all of my accumulated Christmas eabadecore. They are like old friends that remind when & where I got them. I have said Merry Christmas several times this season & not one person has responded. Sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteMerry 🎄 Christmas Ileana! We will celebrate with GREAT JOY for all God has done for us! Party on, my dear. 💖
Merry Christmas!
DeleteThanks for this great reflective story. So true for many of us, stores and parks want the 🎄 Christmas business without using that word. So many of us have small families with many relatives deceased. Gone are the days of celebrating Christmas Eve with a 🌮 taco dinner at our house with my late dad's family, now mostly deceased. Gone are the Christmas brunches my mom cooked at our house for her side of the family. Gone are the traditional sit down, food served on china Christmas dinners at my mom's mother's house. "Mom Metz" as I called my grandmother fixed everything, including home made yeast rolls. With our 2 sons we had to create our own traditions, both their grandfather's were deceased and grandmother's were busy with their own lives. Now with one son having 2 children we are starting new traditions. But, my old memories of childhood Christmas gatherings remind me of another time in America.
ReplyDelete