Now that Thanksgiving has come to pass, the countdown to that holly-jolly time of year has officially started. You know, when you get all warm and fuzzy inside about the holidays coming…and…um…
I know, me neither.
Instead, I have that small pit in the center of my stomach on all the things I need to do before Santa comes Ho, Ho, Ho-ing down the darn chimney. Why do we continue to feed the big conglomerate monster by buying more Christmas crap, by sending out more computer generated Christmas cards to everyone in the universe and by allowing the shelved elf to overstay their welcome with five-star hospitality services?
Where did we go wrong growing up and adulting the holidays away?
I pondered this question lately and felt it was best to turn to the guidance and wisdom of my favorite Christmas movies.
In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold drums up grand illusions of the perfect Christmas with 2500 Italian imported twinkling lights to be displayed on his home and an overflowing Christmas tree in the living room. Both over the top ideas end up in hilarious disasters, but I understand his efforts to please his family and I get why we laugh. We aren’t laughing at how ridiculous Sparky is being, instead, we laughing at how absurd WE can be about this time of year.
I did the thing and made a meme…
And when things don’t go right (and they normally don’t), we lose it.
Now enter Frank Cross, he is “that boss-type” that Clark colorfully refers to, above. He has it all in the movie of Scrooged; money, power, his own TV holiday special featuring Mary Lou Retton and reindeer mice, but does he have what really matters most? Frank finds out he doesn’t. So when things really do go our way and the over the top works, are we really happy? Or, do we just tell ourselves everything is done and that all the boxes are checked off. With a glass of Scotch in our hands (less the eyeball), we are on to the next thing. There is no time to enjoy the present day…
And I did the thing, again.
I feel when things do go wrong it is for a reason, and sometimes you need a good slap in the face to see it.
What needs to come out of the equation, then? Well, I normally am the one to decorate the house on my own. Not because no one wants to do it, but for the reason of getting it done quickly and to fill that check box. Not this year! I feel Charlie Brown was right by saying, "I’m not going to let all this commercialism ruin my Christmas.” So, last night my family stopped their normal nightly routines to decorate the home for Christmastime. While we did this, I had flashbacks of my mom and I decorating the same way when I was a kid. I would see my son’s excitement and was reminded of my own, all those years ago. And just like that, the warm and fuzzy feelings returned.
So what’s the take away here? I’m certainly not saying we need to start a commercialism revolution by eliminating all holiday presents and go work at a soup kitchen on Christmas morning. That’s not the solution either. What I am saying is let’s all take it down a notch or two and enjoy the little moments more, along the way.
One more meme for good measure :)
It’s time to bring out the kid in us again and get excited for Santa coming to town.