Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Ho, ho, hack...

Bruce echoes some of my feelings about Christmas music and such in his latest posting. Yeah, I tagged ya, Bruce, so you'd post something. Bruce always has good stuff to share.

I also tagged folks in the hopes of getting some kind of Christmas spirit for myself. I just don't have it, and rarely do. It's particularly hard these last couple of years with our men and women overseas. We're running around hoping to get that piece of jewelry. They just wanna come home alive.

Christmas is a pagan holiday. It just is. It has very little to do with Jesus, and as far as pagan holidays go, I prefer Halloween. Legalists out there will recoil in horror at that, I'm sure. I think Halloween is funny. It's a laugh in the face of evil, and it's creative. It is what it is, and, ironically, doesn't masquerade as something else. Plus, there's the instant sugar rush.

How many moms out there have had to make pterodactyl costumes? It ain't easy, let me tell you. That beak is a patience-killer. One of my guys went as an IRS man one year. He'd have had all doors shut in his face if he hadn't had the younger one in tow.

We try and will continue to try to maintain a spirit of the holidays that are about Jesus. It's hard in a world where the most important thing is getting that Lexus in your driveway with the red bow on top. Now, that just SCREAMS the birth of the King, doesn't it?

I'll try to refrain from any further cranky posts!

I'm not trying to steal your Christmas, but I guess I am the Grinch.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Karen, I am personally relieved that you feel this way because I am not a festive cheery Christmas person either. I think it's wonderful that some people find so much joy this time of year - joy is never a bad thing. But I don't. It's not that I am too cheap to buy presents either - I love giving gifts. So I fake it when needed to be polite but here in the blog world I'll join you in being kind of Grinchy.

NoVA Dad said...

Karen -

I don't think you're being Grinchy at all. I very much love the Christmas season, but not for the overtly commercialized things that we get bombarded with practically beginning the day after Independence Day. Rather, I love it because of the wonderful memories from times in my life it conjures: church pageants; cold walks through one of my favorite hometown neighborhoods looking at all of the old, decorated homes; dinners at my grandparents; hoping for snow -- and the one song that from our annual church Christmas pageant that has stuck in my mind for 30 years ("I Wonder as I Wander").

I also love the holidays because I'm getting to see the excitement in my little girl as she stares in wonder at the Christmas tree, listens as we explain the story of Christmas to her, and develops what I hope are going to be wonderful memories for her later in life.

You shouldn't apologize for honestly conveying your feelings. Maybe I'll have enough Christmas spirit and excitement for what this season TRULY means to carry you through;-)

- Matt

karen said...

Thank you, Barbara and Matt...I appreciate your comments very much!
Christmas was more fun when the guys were younger and I could see it through their eyes. Your memories, Matt, brought a lot of mine to mind, too. I also like to watch the old Christmas shows, too...they remind me of past times.
I'm working on a yard decoration..it's 3 stars; one large and two on either side. When done and lit up at night, they will look like they're floating in the yard. It's keeping me focused on the reason for this season! :-)

Anonymous said...

I'll be a better person if you get me that car with a big bow on it. I will really. . . honest. . . . I can make my bed and clean the house and say Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas. I’ll bake a pie.

I'm get'n it am I?
Fine Merry Christmas anyway!
:-}

Bruce said...

Ok, this is strange. I left a comment and it's gone. It was pretty witty too.

I'm with you on this one, except for the Halloween part, I'm still not a big fan. But I'm impressed that you could spell pterodactyl much less make a costume of one.

Let's pray that the powers to be comes to it's senses soon and we have our troops home safe - reguardless of what happens over there afterwards.

His peace.
B~

kc bob said...

Christmas is a mixed bag for many ... for some it is a painful remembrance of loss.

Mark D said...

Things that make me smile:
Staring at snowfall from a dark house with Silent Night playing
Being quiet and just thinking about God's gift to us
Being thankful for what I can give to others rather than complaining about what I can't yet

Things that make me sad:
Crazy malls full of rude people with frowns on their faces
Traffic
All the "Here Comes Santa Claus" type secular crap that equates to noise pollution in my book