The Point

Buy buy buy the Christmas mailers tell me. Sale Now On! 20% 30% 40% Off! Limited Time Only! The Malls have had their Christmas Bling up for weeks now. Christmas music plays as we scurry like little meece from store to store.

Familiar songs like Silent Night make me wistful, remembering Christmas way back when...

...when Santa would magically land on the roof and drop all the goodies down the chimney (or at least you pretended you knew your daddy wasn't the guy in the red suit). No rush to buy buy buy back then. Just the wonder of gazing at the lights and anticipating the thrill of Christmas morning.

Memories of lying awake on Christmas Eve, willing yourself to sleep sleep sleep. Waking up to see lumpy shapes at the end of our beds; a pillowcase stuffed with mysterious packages, nuts, balloons and an orange (?) We'd drag our bags of loot into mum and dad's bedroom, crowding onto their bed, where we opened the presents slowly one by one, watching what each other got, squealing with delight at the dolly dressed in her hand-made clothes, new jandals, a sunhat.

Childhood Christmases were magical. It was never about expensive gifts: mum used her creative genius and budget stretching super-powers to give us a special day. It was a little bit about the food. Oh yes. Pavlova and trifle and sherry-glazed ham on a good year. Choccies and mum's nutty homemade Christmas cake (which I've never tasted the equal of to this day).

What was it that made Christmas so magical?? The power of that one strand of (non-blinking) lights hung on our (4ft fake tinsel) Christmas Tree could hold my attention for hours. Oh the fun of mum letting me help her decorate the humble tree with our mix of treasured and homemade decorations... and then (oh boy) passing the tree-decorating responsibility onto me when she decided I was ready.

Christmas after childhood was a let-down. Sure, the presents were more expensive, the food was still fancy, the songs were still playing... but it was flat. Empty. Just plain disappointing.

The magic came back when we had children of our own. Oh yes. Christmas through the eyes of a child is a wonderful thing. Their shiny eyes and glowing cheeks as the lounge door opens and reveals a Cave of Wonders; tree lights blinking, presents piled up. Oh boy oh boy.

But how easy it is to forgot about the point of the whole business.

In all the busyness of end-of-year functions, shopping sprees and balancing budgets the stress can just rob us of our joy. At times I've found myself wishing for the whole dang business to be over already. That's when I know I've lost sight of The Point of it All.

It's meant to be a celebration. Joy, fun, laughter, loved ones.
And what are we celebrating?

Love - A Baby born in a stable; Love come down

Joy - He came, we matter, we have Hope

Hope - for peace, for goodness, for innocence

So if it makes me stressed, cranky or anxious I should cross it off my Christmas list. And just chill out over that To-Do-List, enjoy the moment with my kids, watch Christmas movies, dance in the kitchen to Christmas music, celebrate... and send all those mailers to the Recycle Bin.

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