As I sit here preparing for tomorrow I cant help but think about my childhood and how much things have changed. Some ways because I am no longer a kid and some because of how much everything and peoples values and morals have changed.
To start I don't remember stress during the holiday season like I experience now. I remember cookie baking, candy eating, playing with my brother, setting up my grandmas Christmas tree, then setting up ours, searching the house and low for the hidden presents, hanging garland on out door ways and the banister of our stairs (that was my favorite) and music. My mom always had music on growing up, not Christmas music, just music always playing. Now I still love these things, but I still stress the rest. Which family this year? What exactly do the kids want? How am I going to do that? Making sure the dog doesn't eat the tree. Making sure the kids remember not everyone is as lucky as they are. Making sure their holiday memories are as memorable as mine were..... That's hard living up to that.
Also I am sad as to what has become important to people around holidays. People as long as I can remember have focused on the gifts and how much you can spend and how many presents you can buy. I have never been that way, nor was I raised that way. We got one big gift, the one we asked for and then a few little things. I have carried that over as a mother. My kids are not spoiled or even close to spoiled on Christmas. I like this. They love giving more then receiving and this is also something I desire them to have inside.
But more then that I feel social media has taken over the pure enjoyment of holidays. I have watched though out the year first thing done is TAKE A PICTURE AND HIT POST..... I find this so sad, though I too fell into this more then once. Lets start Valentines, a picture of whatever your whatever got you, Easter, dying eggs, searching for eggs and the after math, St.Pattys, The green and beer, then beach trips for Spring break, and Memorial Day BBQs, 4th Of July, the parties and matching outfits, Labor Day, camping pics, Halloween costumes and tricker treating (I feel into this one), Thanksgiving turkeys and as soon as the tree is up POST. The Christmas morning phones are out right away to snap and post..... Not to mention babies in the first 10 min, birthdays and EVERYTHING....
Ill stay focused on Christmas since its tomorrow.... As a child on Christmas morning I remember waking my brother up, then the parents, if that some times it was they better hear us running down stairs, I remember my mom and sitting and watching us dive in and ripping paper, drinking coffee or diet coke, enjoying the moment and living in the moment..!! Don't get me wrong, they took a few pictures, on a camera, got them developed and we have them in an album some place. I want my girls to experience this feeling, without my phone in my hand, without posting everything about their lives and everything that happens. When did it become so important to share all these things with the 150 friends on Facebook? Why is it so important to show everything you bought? Why do we see our children's face through a phone screen as we click the picture rather then watching them and not worrying about the prefect capture to post? This for me is something I want to stop doing..! Something I want to change. I want to enjoy then young and not worry about posting something.
This is just was crossing my mind as I start some new traditions and carry on some old.... I hope everyone has a joyful, peaceful and relaxing holiday.... Merry Christmas..
