I’ve been dodging anyone who asks, “How was your Christmas?” I spent time acknowledging the true meaning of Christmas, but didn’t connect to the magic of the season. My daughter and I didn’t get to see one another, so it didn’t feel like Christmas for either of us.
Christmas has always been a big deal to me, and I thank my mother for that. She instilled in us that it’s the one time of year we come together as a family, and she’d cook for days beforehand making it the event of the year. We’d gather at the family home where the den would be minus a chair to make room for the Christmas tree with presents for each of us underneath. The house smelled of warmth and goodness as we waited for Mama to take off her apron as a sign her work was done and for the festivities to commence. After my parents divorced, they sold the family home, but Mama brought all of her Christmas magic to her townhome, and we happily followed her there.
Mama’s make Christmas.
Similar to life itself, Christmas is what we make it and the Christmas tree is my favorite part of the Christmas décor. I saw this reel by Joanna Gaines on Instagram and could totally relate. Just like my Mama had the boys move furniture to make room for her tree, Joanna had men move a ginormous fiddle leaf fig and furniture to make room for hers. Now, in true Joanna style her tree is on a grand scale, but the part of the reel that got me was watching her youngest son. He’s mesmerized by the enormity of that tree and climbed up in a chair as if trying take it all in, but it’s so much bigger than him.
This year I didn’t make a fuss over Christmas and told myself it was okay not to. I’m single and my kids are grown, but my inner child wasn’t happy. I’m not sure what it will look like, but I vow to do better next year, and to fully embrace the magic of Christmas.
Feature Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
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