Twelve Days of Christmas

For those of you looking to deepen your Christmas celebration, check out this website.

http://www.innerchristmas.com/072.html

Wacky, Crazy Holiday, Part II

I was feeling rather hopeless that I wouldn't find my happy medium this Christmas. All has not been lost, and I'm blogging to remind myself next year that I need to protect my energy. Sadly I have chosen to forgo our weekend plans where we usually attend my aunt's Christmas Extravaganza, and see all of my moms family. The date is always the weekend before Christmas, everyone comes bearing gifts, and holiday cheer. They've all phoned me for Olivia's size, favorite toys, etc, and sadly we won't be there after all. Its a 4.5 hour drive, just outside of Albany. With the way I was dragging on about my stress level, the least I could do for Dave and Livy was decide that we should stay home.

After I made the descision to stay home, something miraculous happened. I started decorating my house, ideas were flowing into my head about how I wanted the house to look, and I just started going through decorations and placing them where I wanted them to go. Prior to making the descision not to go to my aunts, I was paralyzed from enjoying Christmas becuase I was on overload. I was stunted from decorating. There as a huge block, and I couldn't even think about decorating. But I freed the block! Wow..how liberating!! Sure I will be missing a really fun party, but I was comprimising so much to make it happen, and not to mention traveling with a toddler. Staying home means having a weekend off to prepare for Christmas day Brunch, which is another area that I was stressed about. Its my 1st year doing Christmas and I'm nervous as heck, and I mean nervous. I never wanted to host Christmas becuase I feel like its too important a holiday to screw up! ha. Now with the Albany Trip canceled, I can just focus on getting ready for Christmas day, and now I'm excited. I'm happy to be hosting this glorious feast day! I'm so elated that my family will be here, and they will expierience their 1st Christmas Day Brunch. Our family wanted to have us host a 4pm dinner like they've done for the passed 50 years, and well, I don't think that sounds very fun so I took back Christmas and said , "We'll do something fresh and fun, we'll do brunch!" I just think that it sounds so wonderful to eat French Toast Casserole, Scrambled Eggs, and drink fresh squeezed orange juice as everyone mingles around. Much better than a stuffy sit down dinner.

Merry Christmas Everyone. I have removed a block and the world looks alot brighter now. :)

Crazy, wacky, Holiday

I don't even know what to say about this 2007 Christmas season. I have been filled with tension over getting it all done, buying the gifts, planning the meal, tying up travel plans, whether to travel, whether to surrender and stay home, and what to stop doing right now! Aaaaah. Breath Lisa....just breathe. Great...now I'm talking to myself...this will really help my tension right now. Next year Jenn and I decided that we're starting our shopping in July, and that December will only be about planning the food, and sending out Christmas cards. Sounds good to me...sounds delightful, except that I still can't help but feel like Christmas is all consuming. And for what?? I love cultural rituals, many are beautiful and bring families closer together, but I have to say....does Christmas really do that? I believe that Christmas might be more beautiful if it were simpler. Perhaps there are still ways to savor Christmas, and take it back, without the mass market commercialized madness, and actually have a spiritual expierience. Isn't that what its supposed to be? Aren't we supposed to be rejoicing over the birth of Christ? If we look at other cultural rituals, or holy days, they are days of fasting, and then an enormous feast. Christmas is all messed up with Santa, shopping, eating for the whole month, becoming worn out, and then planning a two day meal extravaganza...oh and don't forget to stop in church and pause for alittle while.

Do I sound cynical. I'm not...actually my brain is just rewiring to bring back some of the beauty of the Holiday. I am still yearning for something deeper...and I've found a few things that I could incorporate in the years ahead thanks to my Holisitic Moms Group. One idea was to give Olivia 3 gifts, just as the wise men gave Jesus, and have them represent Mind, Body, & Spirit. I love that idea, and we could really put our hearts together to find some thoughtful high quality gifts that would carry her into the future. I have also searched for spiritually inspired books to give her, that would be age appropriate, and I've found a few that she'll be given this year, along with Mr. Potatoe Head and tub toys! ha!

Thanks for reading my rant. I love Christmas, and I'm just trying to establish what it means to me, and what I want to impart on Olivia.

Quote

I saw this quote on a friends blog, and I had to pass it along. Marianne Williamson is one of my favorite authors, and spiritual teachers. Hope this resonates for some of us...I will need to sit with this one awhile.


“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ Marianne Williamson

Jolly old St. Nick

If you have a chance this holiday season, please visit www.stnicholascenter.org. The origins of Saint Nicholas are amazing, and fun to read. Its a beautiful way to bring something authentic back into this holiday season. I'd much rather celebrate a Saint than the over commercialized, mass marketed, Santa Claus & Reindeer idea. Yes its all in good fun, but Saint Nicholas will actually give you something to celebrate, something authentic, and spiritual. He was a devout Christian who sold his inheritance and belongings to help the poor, all inspired from the walk of Christ. He performed several miracles throughout his life, and all of which contributed to his doctrination into saint hood. The website does a beautiful job of giving ideas on celebrating St. Nicholas day. Its a fun place to visit!

Peace and Joy!
lisa