This festive season has been particularly trying for us so it has been hard to get excited about Christmas at all. Even the Christmas tree is picking up on the vibe. 
I remember when I was a kid, I would get excited about Christmas. Sure it meant that we got some presents but also because we got to catch up with the rest of the extended family. I don’t remember it being as stressful, trying to accommodate everyone’s gatherings on the one day. Perhaps it was because as a child, I didn’t have to think of such things because I simply went wherever my parents did.
I don’t remember stressful shopping experiences….certainly don’t remember traffic jams within car parks just to get to the petrol station. I do remember people lighting their houses to celebrate the occasion but I don’t remember the sense of competition that goes along with it today. I don’t remember my mum getting stressed about whether she had the right table cloth or whether the napkins matched the table cloth.
What I do remember is my grandpa falling asleep on the lounge downstairs after a belly full of food. Playing board games with my sister and sometimes my cousins as well while the adults chatted. I remember it raining most Christmas Days and not caring because what does it matter if it does? Going to the shoppin
g centres and hearing Australian Christmas carols played over the speaker, often sung by unknown artists and delighting in it nonetheless. People smiling, wishing each other merry Christmas without the fear that the other person may not celebrate Christmas because if they didn’t, they simply said merry Christmas in return and did not get offended. The shops shut for more than 2 days and somehow no one complained about the inconvenience of it all. If you forgot something, then you simply did without or went to the “rip off merchants” at the corner store.
Mostly I remember that there was a true spirit of Christmas when I was a child. There was magic in it. Somehow as an adult, that feeling of anticipation is somewhat diminished. I do wonder whether that’s how my parents felt about it as well, even though that time of year was always memorable to me.
Have a very merry Christmas, no matter where you are or what you are doing and may 2010 be even better than the year before.