I am sitting in the office on a fairly peaceful Monday and out of the blue I hear someone say there are only three months until Christmas.
Like I need to hear that today.
I enjoy Christmas and will have fun during the season but we have not even got by Halloween yet and already people are making preparations for the season beyond.
It seems that enjoying today has been lost on many people.
But why are we always looking into the future rather than taking a moment to enjoy…well the moment we are in.
I like being organized and prepared for what is coming up next but this comment reminded me that as soon as November starts (if not sooner) television, the internet and every other medium you can think off is going to be bombarded with the sounds of Christmas clatter.
Christmas is a great time of the year and I think it should be enjoyed by everyone. However like many things in our daily lives we have to spend such a long time hearing about it that by the time it happens we are sick of it.
There is nothing worse than being tired of hearing about something because of overkill. I swear I am not trying to be Scrooge. I have always loved the season but enjoyed it more perhaps when you would put up a tree a few weeks before and then took care of all the Christmas shopping.
Teaching students overseas about Christmas was also fun because we would do it casually over a week.
We did not start in October and then continue on for months of Here Comes Santa Claus everywhere you turned. Right now Christmas is a mix mash of a holiday that combines commercialism, religion, an excuse to gather with friends and somewhere in there family values (which are different for everyone). I have had discussions with people who feel the holiday is now nothing more than an excuse to shop. Other people have told me they want nothing to do with it because it is nothing more than an excuse to promote religion. Finally there are those people who think of nothing more than a good reason to overindulge for a couple of weeks.
So what is it all about and why do we have to hear about it for such a long period leading into the big day. The big lead in of course deals with money. It is a holiday now where people spend a great deal so everyone has what they want on the morning. If you can afford it there is nothing wrong with that. I have many fond memories of being taken from my slumber by my brothers and particularly my sister to go downstairs early (though I would have taken the sleep over waiting for my folks to get up to open presents).
If the holiday is a religious day for you it is a time to give thanks for what you believe. Again there is nothing wrong with that and some would say that is the true meaning behind the day.
If you look at it as a time where drinking and eating is all you want to do then I say take it easy cause guilt is a terrible thing.
So as Christmas creeps slowly towards us and I know that the music and commercials are set to start, I know it is going to be a long three months.
My advice is simple. It does not matter why you like or dislike Christmas. The commercial side may annoy us and it is coming so we are all going to hear about it. But I say Christmas is a time where good things can happen and people have the chance to do something right. But do not get so focused on tomorrow that you lose today. Be prepared for whatever you do but enjoy the moment you are in as well. And one last question I have to ask, what the heck is a white peppermint chocolate mocha anyways?
