"Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. . . ."
The carols try to tell us that this is a calm and silent time of year. But for most of us, the weeks leading up to Christmas can be anything but calm. You know the drill: Christmas parties, shopping, wrapping, relatives, Christmas plays and everyone's favorite -- family pictures. It's enough to leave even the strongest among us exhausted.
Can we slow things down a little so we can enjoy the season again? Does anyone have time for that?
Whatever your plans for the season, don't let them overtake your holiday. Remember Dr. Seuss's classic tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Christmas will come without all the wrappings and bows, it will still come if the turkey isn't perfect, if your tree is a little lop-sided or the dog decides to help you 'redecorate'.
There are ways to put a little relaxation back into your Christmas season without adding too much to your busy schedule. As we get closer and closer to the 25th, try a couple of these simple ideas and remember what enjoying the holiday feels like.
- Choose one or two people from your list and make their present. Making gifts gives you a great excuse to go off somewhere by yourself for a few hours. Put on your favorite music, light a pine scented candle and enjoy the quiet as you work. The possibilities for hand-made gifts are endless.
- Rent some classic Christmas videos. Invite a few friends over or share a movie night with your family. There's something about watching timeless classics like Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life that helps remind us to slow down and enjoy the best "things" of the season.
- Read your favorite children's Christmas story. Find a quiet corner, a cup of cocoa, and favorite blanket and curl up a read the story you most loved as a child. How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Night Before Christmas are classics, or better yet, read the original Christmas story in the Bible in the book of Luke (Luke 2:1-20).
- Attend your college's concert or go to a a local highschool concert. Most school bands and choirs put on Christmas concerts and the entrance fee is almost always minimal. Grab a friend or the whole family and support local musicians while relaxing and getting into the Christmas spirit.
- Reflect on the season. Christmas is many things to many people, but at the heart of all the celebrating and festivities is the original reason for the season. Whether people are aware of it or even remember or acknowledge it, the original Christmas story centres around a baby born in a manger. In Bethlehem, two thousand years ago God sent his son into the world. He was not sent into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (What does a baby born two thousand years ago have to do with me today and how does he "save" the world?)
Many churches put on special Christmas pageants that portray the story of Jesus, who he is and what he came to earth to do. Why not take in a performance over the next few weeks and rediscover the true reason for the season?
"Peace on Earth" is a phrase you see everywhere this time of year. For many of us, we have to wonder where that peace is. Who is at peace? What about countries that are at war? Is "Peace on Earth" even possible in this day and age? Peace on Earth is possible, and it can start with you.
Christmas is a time to remember the gift of love that was given to us. May your days be merry and bright and may the love that sparked the season find you in the days and weeks to come.
Claire Colvin is the Editor of Women Today Magazine. She earned her BA in English from Trinity Western University. You can read the full version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas online.
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