“What do you do to celebrate the holidays?” I asked a group of children. Hands shot up in the air and the answers flowed quickly:
“I see my grandparents.”
“We decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving.”
“My whole family goes to get the Christmas Tree and we drink hot chocolate at the lot.”
“We go to my neighbors and stay up until midnight.”
“We have a special meal with chicken.”
“We go to church at night.”
“My mother and I go to tea, just the two of us.”
“We go skiing.”
“We light candles on the menorah each night.”
Children, and adults, remember how the holidays feel far more than any gifts they receive. The holidays are at once exciting, fun, disappointing, poignant, calm, spacious, frantic, self-centered, and generous. Phew! No wonder I have emotional whiplash this time of year. I strive to be thoughtful about how I want the holiday season to feel for my family. I want to let go of the traditions that no longer serve us, and hold on to the ones that do. As the years have gone by we’ve created new traditions that are in line with our changing selves and our values. This time of darkness is a great time to practice generosity, gratitude, service, and self-reflection in contrast to the over-consumption and consumerism preached by so much media. May your holidays be filled with moments where you actually notice and feel the grace and joy.
“I see my grandparents.”
“We decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving.”
“My whole family goes to get the Christmas Tree and we drink hot chocolate at the lot.”
“We go to my neighbors and stay up until midnight.”
“We have a special meal with chicken.”
“We go to church at night.”
“My mother and I go to tea, just the two of us.”
“We go skiing.”
“We light candles on the menorah each night.”
Children, and adults, remember how the holidays feel far more than any gifts they receive. The holidays are at once exciting, fun, disappointing, poignant, calm, spacious, frantic, self-centered, and generous. Phew! No wonder I have emotional whiplash this time of year. I strive to be thoughtful about how I want the holiday season to feel for my family. I want to let go of the traditions that no longer serve us, and hold on to the ones that do. As the years have gone by we’ve created new traditions that are in line with our changing selves and our values. This time of darkness is a great time to practice generosity, gratitude, service, and self-reflection in contrast to the over-consumption and consumerism preached by so much media. May your holidays be filled with moments where you actually notice and feel the grace and joy.
RSS Feed
