It was good that I read an article in my magazine, Yoga Journal, about simplifying life. Life gets so hectic and stressful with the idea that material things are necessary for a good life. Now that the Christmas season has started, we are being bombarded with media pushing for consumer spending. It is hard to resist the message from advertisements showing an idealistic Christmas with the implication that love and gifts are synonymous.
My childhood memories of Christmas are not of the gifts that I received; in fact, there are very few gifts that I can even remember. What I do remember is family time and activities centered around the Christmas season: handmade ornaments, decorating Christmas cookies, handmade gifts, carroling, candlelight services. These memories give me the warm, fuzzy feelings of love.
The reminder to simplify my life comes at a perfect time. I will simplify my Christmas season by maintaining those old family traditions of Christmas for my own family and perhaps creating new traditions.
What a lovely reminder of what is important during the Christmas season. I am not sure we will be back from Mayo for the holidays. My daughter just wants to be able to open presents with her own hands. That would be the only gift I’m hoping to receive as well.
Thank you for bringing back some wonderful memories. It has been so important to me to carry over many of these traditions to my daughter. I hate that the commercials show Christmas trees with so many presents. So many kids think that the most important part of Christmas is how many presents did they receive. They feel slighted if their friends get more presents than they get. I would love for everyone to strive to rediscover the true Christmas spirit.
“What I do remember is family time and activities centered around the Christmas season: handmade ornaments, decorating Christmas cookies, handmade gifts, carroling, candlelight services. These memories give me the warm, fuzzy feelings of love.”
I really relate to this, particularly the handmade ornaments. Still today I cherish the ornaments that my sisters and I sat at the kitchen table and handcrafted, the time with my kids doing the same, and all the memories associated with it all.