Community Chat

[CelticCrafter]

It's not that I dislike it or hate it, it becomes tiresome.

No one needs or wants anything and if we did, we can well afford to get it when we need it or want it, not wait until Chirstmas to be gifted with.

It's become a gift card exchange, which has gotten boring.  I give you a $50 gift card and get one in return.

I'm outnumbered but I would much prefer a grab bag exchange with family, pick one name, set the $ limit and buy one gift for that person.  

[AuntG]

Your points are all valid.  Still I'm glad you will put on a happy face.  As one who used to love gifts, they have lost their thrill for me.  The gift I appreciate now is the child in the manger so I make a point to attend church on Christmas.  I must admit I've lost respect for younger family members who ignore the religious aspect of Christmas.  I'd rather have them do their thing and prefer not to be a part of whatever it is they celebrate this time of year.

[Starpolisher]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

Consider those who are homeless and cold on Christmas and Hanukkah.

Or perhaps those in prison or a nursing home and they've had no visitors in years. Or those who are hospitalized wondering how many more days they have let alone how many more Christmases they will see.

Count your blessings that all you have to worry about is how long it will take to clean the kitchen before you sit down in your comfy chair to pop in a dvd.

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Thank you @Snowpuppy. I have a cast on my leg. I broke my ankle and have been in a cast since October. Although dh has helped a great deal this year, I too was feeling like most of the other posters. Thank you for reminding me what it's really all about. Merry Christmas everyone. Jesus is the reason for the season!

[goldensrbest]

I just lost the spirit this year,every year just gets less and less spirit,this year  i am spending it alone ,with my dogs.

[Karie2022]

I think that's a fairly normal response to the holidays...especially for women...we've shopped, cooked, cleaned, socialized, wrapped, decorated, etc for years...and maybe we just get burnt out sometimes...I told my dh, someday I just want to go away for the holidays...no Christmas...just relaxing on a beach somewhere ;0

[violann]

I am wishing a small, sweet surprise to everyone who has lost or never had the the experience of the wonder of the Christmas holiday. 

Perhaps a cardinal or blue jay jay will appear in your yard, or a branch from a tree will unexpectedly bloom, or you will hear from an old friend, or any small thing that will be 

a "present" to you in some small special way.

My Christmas will be sweet in a totally absolutely never expected way, and I will appreciate the fact that I have memories of bleak holidays in my long history of Christmases past, but that THIS Christmas will have something quite wonderful in it, something I will be able to relate intensely to the REAL meaning of the Holiday.

If you are in pain, whatever the reason, keep in mind that someone, somewhere, is hoping that you will feel a little better not just for this Christmas but for every day forward. 

[gidgetgh]

While I still love Christmas, it's definitely not the same as it used to be.  Soooooo many family members are gone now and we feel their absence and it's all just very bittersweet.

If my Atlanta family is ALL here, there are 7 of us.  We'll be at my sister's house Christmas Day.  My husband's family totals 9 for our get together on the 26th.  Used to be there would be 25-30 people Christmas Eve at my mother in law's house.

Again, I still love Christmas, but, to be honest, I don't like that it drags on forever anymore.   Giving gifts is my favorite thing to do.   I still like to shop and wrap early and all that stuff but it seems that this holiday lasts for months and by the time it gets here, I'm ready for it to be over.  Our tree (which I didn't think we'd put up, but did) will come down on the 26th.  Two and a half weeks of it being up is enough.  I've enjoyed it- always happy to see our old ornament friends, but down it comes.

Go ahead and bash me for my opinion.  

[AngelPuppy1]

I understand how you feel.  It does get more trying as we get older.  The tendency to stay home, hybernate and nest comfortably gets greater, I believe!  

I think I still have this feeling inside me --- it still remains from being a young child --- I still have a bit of it left in me --- a kind of feeling that the Christmas season is magical, that all things can be beautiful, wonderful and peaceful.  I love so much the decorations - looking at the lights and the way everyone has decorated their homes and yards.  It takes away for a bit the harshness and reality of the world today. But I think as we age, it puts a lot of stress and strain on us.  We often don't feel well or up to doing the things we used to do and maybe would still like to do, and so maybe we feel a sense of disappointment and/or sadness.  I know I feel this way.  Plus, many people we loved are not with us any longer.  

This years the holidays have not been good at all; they began with Thanksgiving and continue on, as my dear mother remains hospitalized and has many serious issues.  I have been really ill and don't even know if I can share any time with my family.  I have my DH and am grateful and blessed with that.  So -- yes, on one hand, I do just want the holidays to be over but on the other, I feel sad that I feel I have missed getting to enjoy them.  But life goes on and we do what we can and pray for better times! 

[MalteseMomma]

Now that I am old and tired ,I do not enjoy all the hoopla on Christmas Day either ,but I do have the spirit in my own quite way..Realisticly I would like to stay at home with my little dog ,it kills me to leave him alone all day.Last yr I was sick and did stay home.My family was not happy about that.

I have lost almost all my extended family members including my DH and Son,  and I guess along with age ,it makes the holiday a little sad for me.One day I realised ,noone could help me feel better, but myself

.

One of my daughters lives wayyyy across the country ,with 3 of my grandkids and 3great grands,so they are all missing too.

I really shouldn't complain because I have another daughter ,a son,daughter in law and 7 grandchildren here with me..

My advice to those that are really unhappy.lonely or feeling awful during the holidays is to volunteer somewhere.It does wonders for the soul and for other people. I always volunteered to come in on Christmas Day in the hospital ,so others that wanted to be home for Christmas could do so. I also volunteered in a soup kitchen and it was a wonderful place to be on a holiday.It is wonderful to sing in a choir on Christmas Eve too.

I am Blessed to have a family to join with  later in the day but if you are totally alone ,volunteering  so that others can stay home with loved ones, is very good for the soul and a great way to get through the holidays

Peace to everyone!

[IamMrsG]

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violann wrote:  

I am wishing a small, sweet surprise to everyone who has lost or never had the the experience of the wonder of the Christmas holiday. 

Perhaps a cardinal or blue jay jay will appear in your yard, or a branch from a tree will unexpectedly bloom, or you will hear from an old friend, or any small thing that will be 

a "present" to you in some small special way.

My Christmas will be sweet in a totally absolutely never expected way, and I will appreciate the fact that I have memories of bleak holidays in my long history of Christmases past, but that THIS Christmas will have something quite wonderful in it, something I will be able to relate intensely to the REAL meaning of the Holiday.

If you are in pain, whatever the reason, keep in mind that someone, somewhere, is hoping that you will feel a little better not just for this Christmas but for every day forward. 

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@violann

Merry Christmas!