Slow Down and Smell the Gingerbread
December 13, 2006

Some of my friends, Jewish and Christian alike, say they hate the holiday season because of all the stress it causes. Making those endless shopping lists ... looking for "perfect" presents ... writing poignant phrases on 116 cards. Who wants to do that?

Add to that the worries about forgetting and therefore insulting someone ... about what Uncle Harry will think if you don't invite him over ... about getting a gift from someone you didn't send one to ... about being caught "re-gifting." And so on.

No wonder so many people get stressed out, angry, and depressed.

I've been thinking about ways to overcome this. Here's what I've come up with so far ...

  1. Bake gingerbread cookies in amusing shapes and eat them without guilt.
  2. Give everyone you care about a present. (If you don't have a lot of time for shopping, find one wonderful thing you can give to everyone.)
  3. Take a family walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas decorations.
  4. Leave work earlier and spend more time at home. Devote some of that extra time to watching sentimental movies (like Miracle on 34th Street).
  5. Read The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol out loud.
  6. Play Christmas music until you can't take it any more.
  7. Put lights up. Everywhere.
  8. Invite your friends to stop by, and serve them mulled apple cider and/or eggnog.
  9. With family or friends, visit the gravesite of a loved one. Then gather together afterward for a big, comforting meal.

Read this post in Early To Rise

posted by M. Masterson @ 10:26 AM,

9 Comments:

At 8:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I stopped buying Christmas presents 3 years ago due to financial reasons. I informed my family and friends that I wouldn't be buying them anything and they don't have to buy for me. I tell you, it has been the some of the most memorable and fun Christmas's I have ever had.
There is no stress, it truly is about celebrating Christ's birth and what he has done for us. The Christmas Cliché is "it's about family and friends and giving." You might be surprised how the giving part decreases when people find out they won't be getting anything from you.
When you take out the gift giving part, and give what’s most important to me, which is people’s time. I would rather spend time with my family and friends than them spend that time shopping for me a gift that will get tossed in about 6 months.
Happy Birthday Jesus, Thank you for coming and dying for us to bring us to God.

 
At 9:34 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

For Christmast this year, I sent cards which gave the recepient 8 hours of donated care in a free clinic in their name. I had been a volunteer care provider for a year, and had Christmas cards made with this in mind. Everyone said they liked it--how could they not? And my real time effort to take care of the poor in their name...priceless.

 
At 6:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I ordered and read the e-book "No More Dirty, Rotten Christmases: How to Enjoy the Stress-Free Holiday—and Future—of Your Dreams" at www.nomoredirtyrottenchristmases.com
Surprisingly good advice and a fun read. Got me in the right mood, anyway.

 
At 11:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I used to enjoy the holiday. Looked for forward to it as a time to relax and enjoy my family's company.
But now the family (the wife's side) has grown to include three more generations, including children of great nieces and nephews that I have never met and probably never will - and we must buy a gift for each and every one. Total number of people my wife is buying gifts for this year? Eighty three. That's 83! Why? I'ts expected. And will our generosity be reciprocated? Of course not. Most will not even bother to convey a "thank-you." Will my wife change? No. She believes she must continue to buy for everyone to be "acceptable" to the rest of her catholic (she isn't), mid-western (she isn't), child-rearing (we have no children), traditional (ha-ha), working for the man (we own our own business) family.
And so I hate the month of December. Hate Christmas. Don't believe Christ was born then and can't find any scriptural authority for it's supposed religious significance. So to say that I and my wife are at odds with each other for 1/12 of the year should be obvious. I look forward to the day she finally acquires the courage to admit who she really is and decides to act accordingly. Then we can book a cruise and spend christmas in the caribbean like sane people should.

 
At 8:58 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

10 years ago I suffered a terrible stroke which lead to a ending of a 30 year marriage. My ex- wife treated our three boys as though I had died. They never understood my Handicaps. After she asked me to leave 5 years ago My boys have not spent any holidays with me. 2 of my boys joined the military while deployed I never missed a month to send him a "care Package" When returning he came to the area which I live in and spent roughly an hour with me This made me very sad. This Christmas I will celebrate with friends and am not sending presents to kids that have no understanding of my condition. I understand that their mother has set me up for the loss of my kids when she decided to end our family.I will not attempt to buy their love with lavish gifts anymore.With money I don't have. I WISH THEM AND YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. AND GOD BLESS AMERICA. sorry BUT THATS THE BEST I CAN DO.any new parent remember give your kids what they need not always what they want.

 
At 7:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

May you have a simple Christmas...That's what I've been saying to all my friends since Thanksgiving -- most of whom had a rotten day with family who made them miserable. This year I send a few cards to Christians who are in prison because of their love for Jesus. I found their names, addresses and stories on Voice of the Martyr's website persecution.com . We bought and mailed presents to our parents and that's all. 'Honor your father and mother' the Bible says, but it doesn't say anything about going broke to buy stuff for 83 relatives! Yikes !!! So, to everyone out there, I wish you a simple Christmas... quiet, prayerful, full of thoughts of how much God has done for us by coming to Earth and showing us how to follow Him to Heaven. It's not about money, or gift giving, or even family. It's about you and Him. Simple as that.

 
At 11:58 PM, Anonymous Cheryl said...

I am appalled that woman would feel it incumbent upon her to waste so much time, effort and money, on 83 other people who will probably NEVER THANK HER! If she gave gifts to kids in an orphanage somewhere in the world, she would be really appreciated and never be forgotten in their prayers.
I met a lady through a private chat room who suffers from COPD and several other problems, and in one exchange we got onto the subject of bubble baths, candles etc, and how relaxing it was to wallow in a bath in peace and candlelight. She said she could not use candles due to the smoke and wanted something that ran on batteries instead. Litle does she know it, but there are two 'candlesticks' with light bulbs as the candle part, that are on the way to her right now, all the way from New Zealand to Missouri, U.S.A I had so much fun wrapping it all up and I would LOVE to be there when the parcel is opened! Unfortunately, I am so far away and live on a fixed income and airfares are to dream about only! I will just have to wait for the email instead! Cilla has probably forgotten all about that conversation by now, but I did not and scoured the shops looking for the candles.
One day, I hope to be able to meet her face-to-face and give her a big hug! It is on my 'wish list' for 2007.

 
At 12:01 AM, Anonymous Cheryl said...

PS: It is 6pm here in New Zealand on December 16th 2006

 
At 5:28 AM, Blogger Usui Reiki Seminars said...

I celebrate Christmas in a Muslim country. I also have close to 40 near relatives. There are 3 generations of people around .Yes I take time to buy presents for each of htem. I do not always get thanked. However Christmas is about giving, sharing and above all the message of brotherly love for all. So sometimes the love part comes in a lot for the less likeable relatives but if we cannot even love our own blood or married blood - how can the central Chritian message go about. We in addition open our house to visitors on Christmas Day.
The joy we bring is overcomes teh personal hardsips.A blessed christmas everyone. If we ar keen to end srtfie around teh world we need to look at ourselves and end all interna strife or we are kidding ourselves

 

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