Photo Credit: Jahzara the Savvy Diva
Every year during the Christmas holiday, I get caught up in the traditions of baking, shopping, gift wrapping and snuggling on the sofa watching Lifetime Movie Network holidays movies during my two week sabbatical from the corporate world. I also try to keep close to my side my iPad, laptop and notebook to jot down my thoughts and reflections about the year, but this past holiday, I found it very difficult to focus on reflecting because the two weeks became a blur to me. The days evaporated around me with an influx of naps, snacks and anxiety about the meaning of the holiday being loss from a society of distracted and self-absorbed minds that forget to slow down to smell the blessings.
Its seven days into the New Year. I’ve finally snapped out of my lazy holiday rest and mini depression I slipped into three days before I returned to work. I decided it was time to indulge in a dose of reflection to recap my time in 2013 and my attempt to renew my wishes I failed to resolve. So here it is…Of course I procrastinated as normal with the Christmas shopping and wrapping, but that’s the beauty of my family tradition. We procrastinate to pull the tree out of the garage, set it up, plug in the lights and decorate until the week of Christmas. I will toot my own horn and say I stepped it up a bit this past holiday and had the tree nestled in the corner with gift wrapping glistening from underneath by the December 14th. It was the first time ever, and I hope to beat that record next year. Remy Martin was guzzled down during the shopping spree five days before Christmas, and as always the mister and I were both left with exhaustion, empty wallets and satisfaction that our family would be cheerful.
And yes, I still hate Santa. Well I hate that our traditions have caused us to continuously lie to our child that a man in a red suit, slides down our chimney and leaves all of the gifts that brightens our child’s eyes each year. Don’t misinterpret my position. My child understands that we celebrate Christmas for the birth of Jesus Christ, but I’ve started reflecting on the myth of the chubby man in a red suit and how he has overshadowed the true meaning during the process. The mystical element is my child continued to hold on to his strong belief that Santa Claus is real and I’m struggling with the idea of whether it’s good for him to continue to believe or be devastated when he finally lets the sly whispers from other children who refuse to believe the nonsense slip into his ears and accept their rants that “believing in Santa is stupid and it only crushes dreams”. Who knows, maybe 2013 was the last year that my son will allow Santa Claus to drop off a load of his best treasures from a two page wish list – or maybe I will continue to have the opportunity to get that warm fuzzy feeling while tracking St. Nick through the Google maps for his last drop off and estimated arrival to our own house where no creatures, animals, or humans were stirring through the night.
These thoughts are just ingested holiday chunks of regurgitated myths and traditions that will likely continue to affect me every year until my last days on earth. Or maybe it is just all of the cocktails I had during the holidays forcing me to deal with my own mental hang-ups and procrastination.
Fortunately for me and my blues, they soon turn into resolutions and reflections for the New Year. They never change. I instantly get a sense of revitalization and vow to leave the past behind and create revised goals that I failed to complete the previous year. It never changes. By mid-march I find myself cursing, yelling and spitting at my treadmill and gearing up in late November to save a few dollars from my paychecks to prepare for my holiday shopping and procrastination. But right now I’ll reflect on day 7 of the New Year and remember the past is now the present.
HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2014!