Holidays are loaded.
Everyone dreams of the Norman Rockwell Christmas, and maybe those are out there, but I think they must be the exception more than the rule. More often than not they are a little less Rockwell and a little more Griswald. Everyone has such high expectations, and the money, effort and preparations that go into each piece… It’s bound to go horribly wrong at some point. When I look back at holidays as a child, the best were those blissful childhood years when you didn’t know that everyone else was busting their butt trying to make it magical! As soon as we become old enough to become aware of the politics, the drama and the cost of holidays, the sheen wears off.
This year, I approached the holidays with a mixture of joy and dread. So many concerns come with full timing with kids! Will it be festive enough? Is a tree essential? Where will I put the gifts? Can we buy gifts? Is there room for MORE crap? And then, when December arrived, I realized, we were in Florida, at the beach! Our entire collective Christmas memory includes snowmen, sledding, and cherished décor that is now in storage!
Just as my panic reached the height of it’s fevered pitch, a package arrived. Mini Christmas trees, reindeer and garlands, Rudolph noses and stockings…. Christmas in a box! Our friend Beth from Colorado was so worried about our lack of Christmas Spirit, she and her family put together a care package! Soon lights began to adorn the carts that drove past. Campers began to light up, sculptures of flamingos pulling sleighs made an appearance. A huge Christmas tree lit up the Clubhouse. Neighbors invited us to see the boats all lit up, a Christmas Boat parade in the fishing village of Matlachay. The boys were invited to make the centerpieces for Christmas Dinner at the park. Neighbors came by on their carts singing Christmas carols, a new kind of caroling! And suddenly, Christmas was here, in its true form, with friendship and community. And we took a second look at the holiday. We watched four different versions of “A Christmas Carol” and looked for the overriding meaning. The boys got it, more so than any other year.
It wasn’t just the box, or the tree or the carols it was the realization that a loving community surrounds us, both here and around the country. That, even though we say it every year, the true celebration of this season is love. We are so grateful to be surrounded by that love, to have the chance to be together as a family. We have been able to spend more time with family than we have in decades, and Pappa and Gramcyn are coming to have Christmas with us.
Isn’t that really the appeal of the Griswald family as well? That even though the tree is infested with squirrels, it goes up in flames and the cat is incinerated, the love of family ultimately reigns supreme over the indignities of daily life.
According to Dr. Seuss…
“It came without ribbons!... it came without tags!... it came without packages, boxes, or bags!”
In our case, it came without snowmen, sledding or cocoa, but it has come all the same.
Happy Holidays to all, we wish you a holiday filled with the love you deserve, now and always.
