My girls are at an age now where they are enjoying the Christmas countdown. So much so they have asked me to have the numbers up, so they can see how many days to go. It makes them so excited, watching the days tick down, the inevitable fun of Christmas morning inching ever closer.
As for me. It makes me antsy having the numbers up there in front of me. Taunting me with how little time I have left, and how much I have left to do. In fact if I’m honest I want to take the numbers down. But I leave it there for my kids.
And it makes me wonder, when did the shift occur? When did Christmas move, from a time of excitement and expectation, to being a burden?
And how do I get it back? How do I regain that sense of wonder and joy, anticipation and hope, that is inherent in the Christmas story?
Part of the answer lies in the reasoning above … my kids.
When I take the time to see Christmas through their eyes, to enter into the wonder with them and remember how it felt at their age, some of the spark comes back into this season.
remind: to cause to remember
My daughter received a letter from Santa today. She read it to me so proudly. So excited that he took the time to answer her questions. It brought to mind memories of my own letters from him, and the same excitement that he would be bothered to write to me when he has so many children’s letters to reply to.
On the weekend we walked down the street to see the amazing Christmas lights at our neighbours. And as my girls danced on the lawn and exclaimed over each new light they found and picked their favourites. I recalled my family’s time in London and the Christmas pilgrimage to the Bond street lights, each of us racing from one shop window to another, to discover the next exciting display.
As we gather under the tree and read our Christmas books , as we do our advent calendar and yes even as we count down the days, these precious girls are my reminder of what this time is really all about.
And so I leave the numbers up there. And each day their anticipation builds. And as I let their excitement overwhelm my to-do list, I find myself once more regaining the joy of this season.
Join me for the journey,
Jodie
PS – 11 sleeps by the way!