Where are you Christmas?

Today I saw a video on my friend Willow's blog at A Journey in Faith. I found it very inspiring.

I don't know about you, but for me, Christmas is a time of giving, a time of laughter and fun. Some of my fondest memories of the season are of us as kids all going to the big hill in town to sled, something we did at the gathering of my dad's family... some uncles would take the grandkids to the hill and we'd spend hours sledding after lunch, before opening gifts. There's the time spent picking out a tree, and decorating it together. The times me and my siblings would spend together at the table, making homemade decorations for the house and tree, sipping hot chocolate after playing in the snow, making angels from paper, little decorations for a small dollhouse we had to make it look more festive, coloring Christmas pages from coloring books, stringing popcorn on the trees outside for the birds. There were the get togethers with family and friends. I remember taking time out of the evenings after school, sitting in my room, spending hours and hours making homemade cards, drawing pictures for each friend, making gifts from paper, cardboard, eventually sewing and woodworking... baking... putting time and effort into each item I was thrilled to give...

Buying gifts just doesn't do the same justice.

I love shopping for Christmas, don't get me wrong, but my fave kind of shopping is for craft supplies, wood, fabrics, etc as I dream up the sorts of things I could make from each item for family and friends. Not only that, but it allows me to give so much more. And I'm thrilled if I have the time I can spend making gifts... which I'm hoping to have this year.

It bothers me that Christmas has become so commercialized. I don't know about you, but the second Christmas season is in the air, the television, radio, and billboards (and even our mailboxes) are flooded with expensive items dancing in front of our eyes with the labels 'perfect gift for her/him', 'make this season memorable', and other various 'the-more-you-spend-the-more-you-will-be-loved' titles. What happened to spending time with each other? I think we need to get back to what we remember most about our own childhoods... do any of you remember the toys as much as the time spent with each other? My fondest memories have nothing to do with things. In fact, the most memorable gifts I have are the ones my parents made for me... one of them being cardboard boxes... Yes... boxes. Mom and Dad turned them into a playhouse in our basement. Mom even made little window boxes with fake flowers in them, and there was a bunkbed and a kitchenette... I believe the 'purchased' item was a small table and chairs set to put inside.

Ah, memories!

Anyway, enough of my chitter chatter... here's the little video that really got me thinking... maybe it will get you thinking too! :)



Merry Christmas, and I hope it's everything you were hoping for this year!

Oh, and the title? One of my fave songs! (Ok, I love just about every Christmas song, hee hee, but I thought the image of this song sort of suited my post).