So This Is Christmas

I still remember my favorite Christmas as a kid.

School was out for another ten days, and Christmas Eve had finally arrived. With cookies set out for Santa and carrots for the reindeer, my brother and I headed for bed. A few hours later and the crack of dawn was finally upon us. (Ok. It may have been a little earlier than that.) We raced out to the living room to find that Santa had left us a…

Brand. New. Nintendo Entertainment System.

That’s right. The original. We could hardly contain ourselves…

Within a matter minutes, we popped in the Super Mario Bros. cartridge and played…and played…and played. My parents loved the moment so much that it was immortalized in the picture you see above.

While that was my favorite Christmas when I was young, the other ones were pretty darn good too. There was something so special about it as a kid.

The anticipation.

The surprises.

The time off from school.

But, now, as an adult, Christmas is different. That childlike wonder I once experienced has dissipated. The bicycles and video games of old have been replaced by more practical gifts like a vacuum cleaner or new floor mats for my car. And the peace and joy of the holidays has been replaced by the stress of shopping, figuring out which bulb is out in the strand of icicle lights, and trying to avoid hearing “Jingle Bell Rock” ten times a day.

It feels like each year, I get a little more pessimistic.

And something tells me I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Each December, with the year winding down, it can be tempting to look at our lives now versus what they used to be and wonder what happened. Some of us lose a sense of joy because maybe our lives didn’t turn out the way we wanted them to. And when the holidays roll around we don’t let ourselves enjoy them as much as we used to because we “know” that it’s just “another year over and a new one just begun.”

Now, if this isn’t you, that’s great. I applaud you. But if you, like me, are struggling with a little more pessimism this holiday season, maybe this is the year to change.

Maybe it’s time to let go of that negative attitude and hug your kids a little tighter.

Maybe it’s time to time to trade stress for a little recess.

And maybe it’s time to stop beating yourself up about all the things you could’ve been and embrace all the things you’ve become.

I know I need to. And it can start now.

So…this is Christmas. For weak and for strong. Make the most of it now. It doesn’t last long.

Question:  What’s your favorite thing about Christmas? (Share below.)