Caught Up in the Christmas Frenzy?

You know the world is just full of patterns and they are prevalent especially this time of the year. This picture is just one such pattern around my house. I am surrounded by them. Some are of my own choosing and some not. I was wondering why some patterns appeal to me? This isn't an earth-shattering question, but none-the-less, it is an intriguing one.

I will sort through a dozen blankets just to find the right pattern or the right colors or both. I tend to like simplicity, however, once in awhile something will just jump out at me like the blouse I have that has a zipper pattern all over it. In that case, I think it is the colors I am drawn to not the pattern itself. I was shopping just the other day and there were Christmas throws in all sorts of patterns and colors, mostly cream, red, and green being that it is Christmas time. I was drawn to one in particular that had polka-dots all over it in red and green on a cream background. I have never cared for polka-dots before and, in fact, have shied away from wearing them or displaying them in any fashion. But this one was calling my name. So I bought it and it is lounging over my chair in my living room.

So why did I pick that one up? All I can figure is that somehow polka-dots represent some kind of whimsy and I like whimsy. It is light of heart and compelling. Whimsy is the unexpected, the surprise in a bunch of ordinary things, the element of humor in a situation, or the hidden piece showcased that is absurd. Whimsy just pops out from the mundane course of things. It is like my Dalmatian scarf that I use in the winter. I wouldn't ordinarily wear that any other time of year, but in the winter, anything goes, and I sport it with glee.

Whimsy strikes me this time of year in my gift buying as well. One year it was Christmas pajamas for everyone. Yet another year it was flashing fluffy pillows in a myriad of colors. Another year everyone had received crazy striped shirts and we even got Grandpa to wear it! No, I am not going to divulge my whimsy gift this year, but I just can't resist when it calls.

I end this part of this essay just warning you that whimsy can strike at any time. It can sneak up on you when least expected so go with the flow. Follow your whimsy instincts and enjoy the once in a lifetime tickle! You never know where it will lead you. If I meet you on the street and in the coffee shop sporting polka-dots and stripes or some other strange get up, I will shrug my shoulders and chalk it all up to "whimsy". Good for you!

Now I am going to switch positions on you. I was at WalMart yesterday buying a birthday present for a December birthday. I couldn't help notice all the carts full of stuff and this is supposed to be an economically challenged year particularly in our area. The evidence of hardship were not very pronounced as cart after cart rolled into the checkout stand stacked with "things". Just previous to this paragraph I had talked about getting "whimsy" gifts for my family in years past! Yes, I have been mindless in my shopping before this year. How many of us do this out of habit? How many of us buy when we shouldn't based on our bank account? I have been guilty of this many times, but as I get older, I realize that this is all wrong! So here is my Christmas letter this year hoping to rectify the wrong-doing and help others gain perhaps a little of my perspective. Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens was a great author and commentator of his time. His thoughts are timeless.

When we think of friends, and call their faces out of the shadows, and their voices out of the echoes that faint along the corridors of memory, and do it without knowing why save that we love to do it, we content ourselves that that friendship is a Reality, and not a Fancy--that it is builded upon a rock, and not upon the sands that dissolve away with the ebbing tides and carry their monuments with them. - Letter to Mary M Fairbanks by Mark Twain

Here we are writing yet another letter because it is Christmas time and we naturally think of friends and family. Norm, my husband, was dressed up as Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain at a charter school event this past November called “Night of the Notables”. But the “notable” I would like to focus on this Christmas is Jesus. Yes, Christmas for us has become this commercial event where we wonder what to get for everyone. It often becomes stressful because of the financial crunch and the desire to give the right gift. We spend hours combing the store aisles holding up this one then that one anguishing through our decision process. The results are the same every year, so why do we expect anything different? Oh, the kids love what we get them and play with the gift for hours the first few days, but inevitably, the newness wears off and it is shoved aside in the closet only to be rousted out on occasion when they get bored. Perhaps their looks of amazement, sparkle in their eyes, and delighted hugs are all that keep us searching each year for the elusive perfect Christmas gift.

The approach of Christmas brings harrassment and dread to many excellent people. They have to buy a cart-load of presents, and they never know what to buy to hit the various tastes; they put in three weeks of hard and anxious work, and when Christmas morning comes they are so dissatisfied with the result, and so disappointed that they want to sit down and cry. Then they give thanks that Christmas comes but once a year.
- Following the Equator by Samuel Clemens

So I would like to suggest that we make this Christmas season different in this new light. Let’s focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas! It is the birth of Jesus Christ and our salvation through him. During his short time on earth, he was able to show us how to live and, in particular, how to love one another. That is what I want to be a part of this Christmas not the commercial end of things. The greatest gift we could receive is from God – his only son – and all else pales in comparison. So build your foundations in loving your family and showing them just how much they mean to you. Tell them often how much you love them and that they are the most precious gift to you during this season and always. Don’t let any opportunity slip by to express your love and appreciation for those nearest to you. Give them hugs often and frequently.

As we come into a new year, we relive the year we have left behind. Our losses have been great with the passing of two of our loving dogs. Our sorrow is temporary. We have been blessed over and over again with jobs, family, friends, a warm and cozy home, food on our table, and so much more! We are looking forward to what this coming year will have in store for us. In the meantime, we wish you all the same blessings and we treasure our time we have had with you! We wish you and yours a very, merry Christmas with lots of love.