So I’ve been thinking about Christmas. A lot. The tree was trimmed the weekend after Thanksgiving and we were still eating turkey. Decorations galore are all around our home and it looks magical. My two sons, now aged 19 and (nearly) 22 helped to make this all extra special, not just this year, but also years past.
Cookies have been made, we are all drinking hot chocolate, humming Christmas tunes and talking about gifts to give and receive. But there is one item no longer on each of their lists: Legos®! Two years ago my youngest asked for his last Lego® set and then it is as if their childhood was over.
So this brings me to how I’ve been thinking about and relating to Christmas lately. Last week during a cleaning frenzy, all of those annoying little Lego pieces were officially archived into 6x60 quart storage containers. A few sets that survived are quite happily gathering dust on a shelf in their room, but all the other bits n’ bobs that were not sucked up by the vacuum are now safely secured in the basement. It occurred to me that there was a small fortune sitting there, honestly, thousands of dollars were spent over the years not just on Christmas gifts but birthdays also.
We cherish this time of year not just because Hallmark tells us so, or the supermarkets are filled with rows and rows of candy, but because of family, traditions, right? Well, with the birth of Jesus we honor the day with gifts to others. And I’ll get to the point here, we honor those near and dear to us through their value. There is symbolism in the gift giving, that I value you as a gift in my life.
The family Christmas Lego set has stood the test of time and is on permanent display year round in our family room.
Only yesterday a co-worker told me how he had spent $500 on a Michael Kors handbag for his wife. How many times did I add up the dollar amount spent on each child at Christmas time to make sure everything was fair, only to go panic shopping to help fill the gap. How often do you end up purchasing something for yourself when you go out to the mall, it is a rare time for sure when you can give to yourself without feeling a little guilty (root chakra is screaming here!).
So I invite you to think about the process in your life, what connections this time of year bring to your life, your being. Reflect on the process, your intentions when giving for sure, but allow yourself to open up to receiving, you are worthy.
Peace and blessings to all, Namaste.