Finally Getting Christmas Right.

I’ve made no secret in past December blogs about my Christmas angst. It gets a little better every year, but this year I think I finally figured how to make the holiday suck less.

1. Advent. Observing advent helps me remember the entire reason I celebrate Christmas in the first place. It provides perspective and grounding.
2. Christmas Eve Service. I remember attending late Christmas Eve services in high school and college with friends of other faiths. I don’t know why I stopped. I attended a lovely service with my friend Angie and her family, and it was exactly what I needed. Christmas Eve became a point of worship, not a lamenting of what I lack.
3. A movie on Christmas morning. I love movies. And if the local theater is going to be open, I might as well take advantage of it. I waited a week to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens because I knew I would be so excited to wake up Christmas morning. I had something to look forward to, a reason to get out of bed. Here’s hoping next year there’s something equally enticing at the multiplex…
4. Spend a ton of time with my family playing games and being goofy. We played Apples to Apples. We played Memory. I made my nephew listen to Postmodern Jukebox and a little bit of Hamilton. My dad made us all Italian sodas. We exchanged a few gifts and ate a meal. I had a blast.

And now it’s 8:20 p.m., I’m writing this by the light of my Christmas tree and deciding if I should pop in a movie or read a book. I’m quite happy and not at all feeling left out or less than. I am feeling loved and content. This is one of the best Christmases I’ve had, ever. I’m glad to have found a way to make Christmas a truly happy time of year.