I love Christmas! I love the lights, colors ans smells. I love the anticipation and excitement that my children have. I love cookies, shopping and sharing with neighbors . I generally love Christmas.
That being said, There have been some years that I did not care about Christmas as much as others. Years when there's family strife, money problems or poor health do not fill one with a desire to celebrate.
During those "scroogy" years I still keep up the tradition and joy of the holiday for my kids. Like everything important, my feelings should not dictate my actions.
This year I am pregnant and tire easily. The thought had crossed my mind to just do a tree and ignore the extra touches that I usually put around the house; it was a thought that quickly passed.
It is appalling how many selfish parents I hear complaining about or ignoring Christmas. Parents who won't be wrapping their children's gifts because it's too much "work" and a "waste of time". Parents who won't put up a tree because they don't want to bother. Parents who justify refusing to go that extra mile because it's just not worth it to them.
These parents disturb me; not because Christmas is in itself extremely important but because the joy of seeing your own parents make the house, the day and their kids extra special is important.
Traditions matter. Traditions are the ties that connect people to days and to memories.
Doing things that take work, just to make your child's day bright and exciting, shows that you love them. It shows that you're not just interested in keeping them alive but also in their heart and happiness.
When I hear grumbling parents excusing their lack of joy in the Christmas spirit I don't see people grumbling about a day; I see them grumbling about the expectation put on them to do something extra for their children. Christmas is only magnificent when seen through the eyes of an excited child and only a person who cares will see it that way.
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