christmastime

You can feel it, see it, and even smell it. It’s Christmastime.

It begins immediately after Thanksgiving and is commemorated with a day so appropriately named Black Friday. Retailers suggest that it begins earlier and earlier every year, but we won’t be fooled. A premature Christmastime would only result in a lack of appreciation for the season itself. Now tell me, marketing experts, do you really want that?

My home is already decked out in garland and lights, ornaments and cinnamon candles. We even have our very own Christmas tree, and yes, it’s fake and two feet tall. We don’t live like royals.

christmastime

Zach and I are both huge fans of the Christmastime. Sweet memories surround the season. We both have loving families to share it with, not to mention a wonderful group of friends. The entertainer in me secretly wishes for a home big enough to host a grand party in celebration. One day. For now we’ll fill bowls with red and green wrapped candies and invite friends over for Rummy. Just as good. Maybe better.

Maybe it’s American culture, maybe it’s human nature, but somehow a season all about love and faith has become about gifts and parties. Isn’t it an odd thing? Or maybe you haven’t thought too much about it this year. Yeah, usually I haven’t yet either. It usually hits me at about 8:00pm on Christmas evening when all the gifts have been opened, all the food has been eaten, and the family is lounging around the house and enjoying each other. We didn’t need all those gifts to be content after all. We needed each other.

I’m not a cynic; I’m a fan. I am a consumer, but first, I’m a lover of people. I believe this season is the perfect opportunity to show that love with my time and thoughtful gifts. The season presents a tightrope for us to carefully walk so as not to plunge into mindless consumerism on one side or seasonal cynicism on the other.
All of that to say, this is my favorite time of year. Christmastime tastes like peppermint, smells like evergreen, and looks like tiny lights hung around town.
But this year I’ll be sure to remember all season that those aren’t the things that matter.
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