This Christmas

Each year, one of the houses on my way home from work becomes a veritable smorgasboard of Christmas light merriment.  There are Santas, bears, Nativity scenes, a dragon, a ship...and more.  And all of this is set to music.  Pull up in front of the house and roll down the window and Christmas Carols fill the air.

Every year before this one, I couldn't believe that someone would put all of this in one yard.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot more decoration than I would choose for my yard.  But it's not my yard.

I will be quite honest.  When I first planned this post, it had a different feel to it.  It was still my Scrooge-y thinking.  I started out thinking that there was no reason for a person to have that much stuff.

As the days of Advent passed and our family was drawn more and more into the anticipation and true feeling around the season, I really began to see why people love this time of year.   The fun, the wonderment, the all-around good feelings that seem to be sizzling in the air around us all.   There is so much to be learned and gained from this time of year.  I watched the pure child excitement from my son and have been completely caught up in it with him.

And that includes the lights.  I have begun to look at them in a different light.  Yes, there might be more than I would put in my yard.  But, what if the people who live in the house are simply trying to share the joy they feel during the Christmas season with others?  The display has grown over the years, and I would like to think it is because the joy of the season has grown in the hearts of those who own the house.

This Christmas has been about renewed hope, new traditions, and a new outlook on many of the aspects of our family life.

And while Christmas is still not my favorite holiday (St. Patrick's Day still winning top honors), it is certainly mow running a close second.

Anticipation

I will be the first to tell you that while it's okay, Christmas is not my favorite holiday (truth be told, it's St. Patrick's Day, but that is another post).   Since my birthday is just a few days before, I grew up being overshadowed by this holiday.

As I got older, it really stopped mattering that my birthday got forgotten in the craziness that ensues with the hustle and bustle of the season.  However, the season still didn't come to mean much more to me than the motions: cooking, eating, shopping, visiting family, practicing for Christmas programs, etc.  In going through the motions, the meaning was lost for me.  I spent so much time trying to cram everything in that I felt like I don't get to enjoy it all.  I normally end the holiday season exhausted, wondering where all of the time went.

This year, it's a little different.  Since I left the previous church, practicing for a Christmas program is off the list.  Most of the gift buying and financial stress of the season is gone because we have minimized our Christmas shopping as a family agreement.  And so, the season is slower for me.  This opens the opportunity for a change in the way I see it.

About a month ago, the boy and I started attending St. Paul's Episcopal Church.  I have talked about how welcoming and wonderful the church has been.  I even requested that a name tag be made for me, signifying that I plan on staying.  In the Episcopal church, the time leading up to Christmas is known as Advent.   Advent is Latin for "coming or arrival."  It is a season of anticipation and preparation for the arrival of Jesus Christ.

As a family, we are starting a new tradition this year: the Advent Calendar.  As I research everything, I researched the "right" way to do this.  Essentially, there isn't one.  There also isn't a wrong way to do it.  As with most everything in the Episcopal church, it is all about finding your own way.  Among their combined Christmas Decorations, my mom and her fiancé found the Advent calendar to the right.  I had actually started to make my own, of which they were aware, and offered that one to us.   Answer?  Yes, please!

For our family, I have put a Bible passage on a card for each day.  I have also included a small goodie for Z on each day.  The plan?  Each night, we will dig into that day's pocket and see what surprises await us.  

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I am excited about the coming season.  I am looking forward to learning more about Advent as the Sundays of the season progress.  I am thrilled about starting a new family tradition.  And I am anticipating the coming days.  I cannot wait to see how the season unfolds and what it will bring to our family.    No matter how it plays out, I know that it will be wonderful.

Although, I am a little concerned about the lack of Christmas Carols...