Am I just getting old or what?

[Tiamat]

Here lately I've been finding it hard to really get into the "Christmas Spirit". Instead of looking at all the pretty lights and colors of the season all I can see is the commercial aspect and how we are guilted into buying presents even to the detriment of our bank accounts and presents for people we don't really care about because its' the "PC" thing to do.

One would think since I recently became the mother of a two year old that the wonder of Christmas would seep in, and it has to a certain extent. When she says Santa it's always with wonder and excitment and over the last week or two the Scrooginess seems to be going away. I used to love Christmas and love the presents etc.... now I don't want presents, I just want everyone to be together, happy and healthy and enjoying our time together. Family keeps asking what do you want for Christmas. Nothing really cause anything I really want I can go out and buy myself.

I guess I want to know at what point does it stop being magical. I don't want to be Scrooge! Help Tia find some Christmas spirit!

[SlowwHand]

Jaded old woman. I'll start calling you Wendy.

[Tiamat]

How did I know you'd be the first I was expecting yes, your old! I'm not jaded and I really am trying. The inside of our house looks like Christmas exploded in it.

[SlowwHand]

Christmas is a stressful time, if you let it be. Slow down, take a deep breath or two and remember what Christmas is about. Salesweenies and advertisers can be ignored. Go for that ride and look at the lights.

[Tiamat]

We did that last night and it really was kinda cool. Asia (two year old) is just getting to the age where she's verbal and can express herself. As we were riding around last night I kept hearing these gasps in the back seat I turned around and she was wide eyed with mouth open pointing to the lights then she'd say Preeeeeeeeeety. Maybe that's it maybe I just need to see it through her eyes.

BTW she's in here with me while I"m typing and keeps seeing the smiley faces and says SANTA! SANTA right there! It really is all very exciting.

[Ming]

Re: Am I just getting old or what?

Originally posted by Tiamat
I guess I want to know at what point does it stop being magical. I don't want to be Scrooge! Help Tia find some Christmas spirit!

It stops being magical when YOU decide it's no longer magical... This can be easily corrected. Ignore the commercialism... as Sloww suggests, take a deep breath and go enjoy the pretty lights. Family and friends are what's important. You just need to look thought the eyes of a "special child"... your own eyes

[Pekka]

Christmas sucks right now. I have to spend it alone and there is this person I'd really like to spend it with but it's just not possible. So it sucks. SUCKS. I'd rather not have it at all, just makes me sad and that's it.

That said, I wish merryChristmas to you all and hope you have a good one.

Over and out.

[SlowwHand]

So you have something that will help remember the reason for the season.


Asia!

[Lancer]

We've had carolers all evening, some sing quite well. At the end they get a little bit of money for their efforts. The little kids get a peso, or 2 cents, large groups of local adults or students might get as much as $2 or $3. While it would be easy to denounce the whole thing as money grubbing, or taking advantage, they're usually quite poor and the money makes Christmas special for them. Many of them will use the $ to put a special Christmas dinner on for their family. Perhaps one of the few times of year they get to eat protein.

No real point Tiamat, just a nice Christmas story for you.

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by Pekka
Christmas sucks right now. I have to spend it alone and there is this person I'd really like to spend it with but it's just not possible. So it sucks. SUCKS. I'd rather not have it at all, just makes me sad and that's it.

That said, I wish merryChristmas to you all and hope you have a good one.

Over and out.

Well we can always count on you to cheer us up now can't we!

[Tiamat]

Thank you Lancer. That was nice. I also think on some level it's hard for me because I just lost my father two years ago and our family home where we spent Christmas for the last 20+ years was sold. But the nice thing about that is now we have our own home and the family can come here and we can start our own tradition.


And today Asia and I are going to make a gingerbread house. When I was buying the kit at the store the check out girl said " wow, how cool! I never did anything like that with my mom groing up." I told her that my mom had made them every year from scratch. Then as I'm walking out of the store it dawned on me that I had a really good memory of Christmas with my family making homemade gingerbread houses where someone else didn't. Like the Grinch my heart grew three sizes that day. I considered myself blessed to have that memory.

[Kidlicious]

If you don't have the spirit it's because you've realized that it's not real. Good for you, don't retgret it. Oh, and make sure and tell your child that it's all fake before she get's too old, because lying to children is very bad for them.

[lord of the mark]

I hope you can enjoy your memories, and weave them into where you are now. Out turbulent, changing lives sometimes make that hard - our traditions are so tied to places left, people who are gone. But when we share the traditions of our childhood with young people, our own children if we're fortunate enough to have them or others, we are acting as links in a chain of tradition, a chain that ties us together with past and future, and with those who share them around the world.

[Spec]

Re: Am I just getting old or what?

Originally posted by Tiamat
Here lately I've been finding it hard to really get into the "Christmas Spirit". Instead of looking at all the pretty lights and colors of the season all I can see is the commercial aspect and how we are guilted into buying presents even to the detriment of our bank accounts and presents for people we don't really care about because its' the "PC" thing to do.

Getting old?!

I have been thinking that way since I am 15 years old...

I'm just barely getting over it and accepting the fact that I cant do anything about it...

I am now 30 years old btw.

Spec.

[DanS]

You are getting old, but this is not a symptom of that.

Probably the easiest thing to do is cut down on the gift-giving. There are some strategies for that, such as suggesting communal gift exchanges -- give one gift, get one gift, rather than giving a dozen and getting a dozen. Also, you can use your child as an excuse -- you're buying for the child now. I have about 2 dozen nieces and nephews, and at a certain point, you just can't give gifts, and none are wished because it only creates a like obligation.