Really, I hate saying it at all, but it’s true. Over the past few years I’ve been feeling myself become more and more “Scroogish.” Not that I don’t like the meaning behind Christmas, I just don’t like what it has become.
I’m grumpy, I’m tired, I’m stressed, I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to clean, I don’t want to bake, I didn’t even want to decorate…but I did.
Honestly, decorating was the only thing that kept my spirits up today. Pulling ornaments and figurines out of the weathered tissue, I could just smell “Christmas” on each of them. Each holding a special memory from years past and present.
See the little green and red train, the red stocking filled with toys? They were my mother’s. As far back as I can remember she had them out each Christmas and passed them onto me to display for my children. While they are hardly special price wise…they are priceless to me. Just one sniff of their sweet, waxy texture takes me back 20 years to my early childhood.
This year she offered to pass another holiday set that I hold dear to my heart more than anything else…but I asked her to hold onto them until my children were at least 10. I’m not risking having one broken.
Just one year ago we were a family of four, hanging our stockings from the train set. Then life gave us a little hiccup and we had to expand to five.
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Love your new stocking hanger. I saw the same one in Sam’s Club and had to try very hard not to throw it in my cart. We still have our 3M hooks stuck on our mantle from last year. I think I’ll finally take them down this year and grab one these.
Sam’s is where we got it! I saw it and instantly knew we had to buy it because there were the perfect number of hooks. We’ve got a baby stocking taking up our dog’s spot until we get her a stocking.
i know the feeling… “I’m grumpy, I’m tired, I’m stressed, I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to clean, I don’t want to bake, I didn’t even want to decorate…but I did.”
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I love that some of those decorations are your moms, it probably brings back memories for you. I know what you mean about not being in the mood. I hate how commercialized Christmas is sometimes and it makes me not motivated about the whole thing.
I completely agree with the whole Christmas thing-I love the holiday spirit, I just don’t like that it’s become about material possessions and stress on top of stress.
Although, I love the fact that the decorations from your mum mean so much to you and help you remember the past–Honestly, that’s what Christmas is all about; Society as a whole has just forgotten that.
I know what you are feeling. I hate this time of year. I hate Christmas for the fact that I am told who to buy presents for and I don’t like that at all. I want to buy for who I choose. Buy the time that I buy for who I have to there is not enough money left to buy for those that I would love to buy for. That really upsets me more than anyone can imagine.
I have been the same way the past few years. This year is no exception, although not quite as bad…I just haven’t been able to get into the Christmas spirit. The deacon had a good homily this morning..he said that in his family they don’t do the whole gift exchange anymore. He said they exchange among their immediate family but the rest of it was just too stressful and exhausting and then everyone would just go return everything or pack it away in a cabinet…so they decided not to do it anymore and just enjoy eachothers company. Sounds nice to me!
I think far too many people are hesitant to admit their opposition to what Christmas has become, but you are in good company. There’s nothing less meaningful than obligatory gift giving….
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If it weren’t for the kids (and they are all grown up now) I would probably not bother with much. I do it all for them–the homebaked cookies, the decorations, the tree. Heck, even the dinner! I’d rather have spaghetti, if truth be told!
)
And one day, I will get to see the magic of Christmas, again…in the eyes of my grandchildren.
I kinda know how you feel. This Christmas has just been different for me; I can almost feel my inner Scrooge coming out, and I always love Christmas. I still do, but this one has been a little rough for some reason….I love your decorations, though. The memories can help to send that inner Scrooge back to where she came from….at least for me. Following you. I love the “keep it real” feel on your blog.
Oh Cat – I totally feel the same. Since my kids have grown older, they aren’t as interested and don’t seem to care if I decorate or not…which is sad. I have no decorations up other than my tree. It is so stressful and time consuming – the cooking, cleaning, etc. It is okay to feel that way…