A meaningful Christmas
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This week, small footprints has us gearing up for the holidays!
As I get older I get more and more frustrated by the seeming lack of reverence around the holiday season and to balance things as a parent can be tricky.
I’d like to say that being bought up in a green way has tempered Little Miss Green’s enthusiasm for excess but it’s simply not true. Her ‘wishlist’ is never extravagant but it always focuses on her, the latest fix and what she wants…
I guess it’s an unusual thing to have a child who thinks more of others, after all, nature intended us to be self centred for the first part of our lives.
So for me, the holiday season is very much about compromise.
If I had a completely free reign I’m not sure I’d celebrate anything in the consumerist way. Would I have decorations, send cards, give and receive gifts? Possibly not.
But I would spend my time with mother nature because for me, Yule, as we celebrate, is all about my connection with the Earth.
This year I’ve heard about an event which really appeals to me – an all night vigil on 21st December of drumming and singing to welcome in the new energies. So we’re considering, as a family, celebrating at home on 22nd so that we can enjoy my all-nighter too!
Little Miss Green will then go off to my parents for 25th December to have her traditional Christmas Day, which I don’t need to be part of.
Around this time of year it’s about being with others, showing gratitude and lending a helping hand when you can. It’s about saying thank you and giving the gift of time, the gift of ourselves to others. I know I would prefer someone to do something for me than give me an inanimate gift. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not UNGRATEFUL when someone goes out to buy me something, it’s just that it’s not my language so I probably don’t appreciate it so much…
I’d urge people to enjoy themselves, celebrate in whatever way they choose and if that means presents, food and drink then so be it.
But in amongst the frivolities ask yourself “How can I make a difference?” or “What can I do to serve?” and be sure to weave those moments into the holiday season too. You might just find it’s one of the best Christmases ever 😉
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We brought up our children teaching them that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus our Lord and Savior and that it is always a real blessing to bless other people. So we would always get in the kitchen and have so much fun baking all kinds of wonderful goodies to give to people. We would use either cute boxes, bags or baskets fill them with cookies, fudge, homemade jams, jellies, relish and cakes. Then my husband would load them up and we would head out to deliver them. They always loved doing this so much that we still get together and have fun doing this even though they are both adults now. So many holidays have become so commercial that I think a lot of people have lost sight about what they are really all about!