One mom’s Christmas wish:
It’s funny how life changes, how your perspective shifts and how what you once thought was important, holds little importance to you now.
For years, I dove headfirst into the holiday hype. The more shopping, baking, wrapping, and activities I could pile on the better. Some of the chaos was self-inflicted (I love the holidays), but most of it was my way of making the holidays magical for my kids.
Anything I could do to see the glistening sparkle in my kids’ eyes was worth the effort, worth the time and well worth the exhaustion. From creating Santa’s footprints by the fireplace by dusting powder around my husband’s boots to making reindeer food and watching my kids sprinkle it on the lawn so Rudolph would have something to snack on while Santa filled the stockings, it was all about making memories.
When my kids raced down the stairs on Christmas morning, I made sure our living room was every kid’s dream come true. Piles of presents wrapped in festive paper and adorned with shiny ribbon circled the tree just waiting to be opened.
Those were precious, magical Christmases I’ll always remember.
Insanely busy, chaotic, and hugely exhausting, but magical.
Like most moms, I hit the ground running the day after Thanksgiving and didn’t stop until New Year’s Day.
As a family, we never seemed to slow down long enough to enjoy the beauty of Christmas or each other, for that matter.
Oh, I tried…
I tried to slow down. I desperately tried to instill the true meaning of Christmas in my kids, and I tried to embrace the simple moments that should have mattered, but life was busy. When I wasn’t shopping, shipping, baking, wrapping or running errands, we were running from one festivity or gathering to the next.
Looking back, I think that’s the way it’s meant to be. When our kids are young we’re supposed to dive into the holiday chaos, fill our calendars to the brim and immerse our kids in the sparkle and festivities of the season.
They’re only young for a little while. Their magical time as believers with wondering eyes is brief. It’s a beautiful season – for our kids and for us.
But, like everything in life… seasons change.
My kids are growing up. They don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore, the shimmering, wonderment of Christmas morning is now part of the past and the days of my kids bursting with excitement so much so that they could barely contain themselves is over.
At first, I missed those days. But on the heels of every ending are fresh beginnings just waiting to be embraced. For me, that new beginning brought a beautiful, new perspective that was long overdue. Now that my kids are older, now that the elf sits quietly on the shelf and Santa and all his reindeer are no longer part of our Christmas picture, we all have time to breathe.
And, it’s heavenly.
The truth is, I’m tired of the holiday hype. I no longer crave or need the crazy busy days of Christmases past. All I really want and crave is the presence of my family all wrapped up in each other. I want to make slow, savor-every-moment memories. I want to sit by a warm fire with my family wearing cozy socks and play Monopoly. I want to make decorated sugar cookies with my daughters and leisurely stroll through the mall with my son without the worry of a schedule, agenda or timeline.
After more than a decade of endless rushing, my family is finally slowing down. We’re putting our phones down, (if only for a little while), saying “no” to the Christmas chaos, and scaling back – on presents, on planning, on activities, on shopping, on spending, on everything.
This year, instead of wrapping piles of presents, my Christmas wish is for my family to wrap ourselves in what really matters – each other. Here’s why:
I Want Time Together as a Family
My priorities are shifting and so are my kids’ priorities. We don’t want or need piles of presents. What we really want is time together as a family.
This year, we’re scrapping presents (except for a choice few) and venturing off on a short family adventure filled with new experiences as opposed to mounds of stuff that will likely find its way to the back of a closet.
The True Meaning of Christmas Matters More
This year, we’re focusing on more important things. We’re focusing on our faith, giving to those in need, doing random acts of kindness as a family and cozying up on the couch by a warm fire drinking hot cocoa with lots of tiny marshmallows. We’re taking time to relish in the simple family traditions that matter to us – because it’s those traditions and our time together, not the presents under the tree, that makes Christmas truly magical.
My Kids Are Getting Older… And, So Am I
I’ve spent hours shopping for the perfect gifts for my kids. I’ve painstakingly decorated the entire house from top to bottom. I’ve wrapped gifts until well after midnight on more Christmas Eves than I can count and I’ve helped my husband assemble more toys than I care to recall. And, I’d do it all again.
But, it’s a new beginning for our family. I want to be with my kids. I want to stop rushing. I want to laugh, get silly, snuggle, and sit for hours talking and listening to their stories.
Every new tiny wrinkle around my eyes is another reminder that I’m not getting any younger and every passing year another reminder that the precious time I have with my children under my roof is fleeting. Soon enough, life will shift again, which is why I want to embrace the now.
So, to my husband and children, don’t bother shopping for me, don’t worry about buying me presents. Instead, grant me the only Christmas wish I have this year – surround me in the beautiful presence of you – my family.
Other posts you may enjoy reading:
Dear Moms of Teens, The True Magic of Christmas Wasn’t When Our Kids Were Young. It’s Now.
Keeping the Holidays Magical When Your Kids Become Teenagers
6 Things Every (Frazzled) Mom Does During the Holidays