My boys all love Christmas..they have good memories surrounding it and it’s one of their favorite holidays. Laila on the other hand does not. Her favorite holiday is Halloween, followed by more Halloween.
When the boys were little I was over the top for Christmas. I had to have a big “ta-dah” as they raced in to see what Santa brought…I wanted lots of delighted squeals, then the reading of the Santa letter and finally present, after present after present to be unwrapped under the tree with lots of candy and cookies and treats everywhere!
It got to be too much. With our money situation up and down each year, I couldn’t keep it up or make it bigger and better each year so….I simplified.
A smaller “ta da” by their stockings and then 3 presents to open under the tree. I figured if Jesus only got 3 presents, then why do I think I’m better than Jesus? So that was my reasoning…and I stuck to it.
Simplifying Christmas has only been a blessing to me…
Simple is more memorable- because you can remember what presents you got and from whom…?
Simple is manageable - it takes the shopping frenzy out of the holiday
Simple leaves space for tender moments not filled with things and stuff.
Simple feels right
But….
Is Simple magical?
Laila has only known smallish Christmas’s and until her Jr. High years, she looked forward to and loved Christmas but since then, she's gotten caught up in what others were getting and what she wasn’t getting. She fell into compare and despair mode with the social media trap. She became a Grinch and went to the dark side.
BUT…….
She assures me Markus, her fiancé LOVES Christmas…so hopefully she’s on her way back to the bright side.
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