I’ve mentioned before on this blog that we’re not religious and yet I write this post near the glow of a brightly lit Christmas tree and with the buttery voice of Bing singing in the background. Do not underestimate the comfort of tradition. I was raised Catholic so certain Christian holidays still pull at my heart strings. Everyone is having such fun during this time of year and I already have all the decorations in the garage, it seems silly not to partake in the festivities. Now that Jackson is in the picture, it all got a little bit more complicated.
I love my memories of putting ornaments on the Christmas tree while drinking hot chocolate, my mother and my aunts getting drunk off of rum cake, my parents completely asleep on the couch after being woken up at 4 in the morning and my sisters and I raiding the stockings after tearing through our wrapped presents. These are good memories, really good memories and with the world full of scary things like war, sickness and pain, I would do anything to give Jackson these memories.
So, yes. It’s going to be complicated and there may come a time when a difficult converstation will have to be had with Jack but until then, could you please pass the Silk eggnog and let’s play a little bit of good ol’ Burl Ives!
As sacrilegious as it might be, our “reason for the season” is spending time with family and showing love to our community and I think that’s just as much in the spirit of the hoildays as anything else. I guess we’ll cross the religious bridge when we come to it. ;)
I’m the same way–I still decorate, gift give, celebrate and use this time of year to draw close to friends and family. I don’t even mind the Christmas story part of Christmas–that’s all it is to me, though–a story. It’s how the tradition was started, and so it’s sort of historical context even though there are still some people who believe in it from that same perspective today.
I think that the religious aspect of the holiday has become to sensitive of an issue. The bottom line is that the holiday is celebrated for different reasons all over the world and the constant theme is being with loved ones and giving.
Hey lady, it is great you are not religious and stay that way. I know you have recieved the gift of life and celebrate the gift. Christmas, actually does not exist in the bible. What we who believe celebrate is the promise of victory over death. A born redeemer, someone who paid for my sins. I’m fully paid up and all I had to do was accept the gift.