Blogging Melodrama

All alone for Christmas

I think the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season causes a lot of depression simply because everyone is trying to meet a deadline.

We all go into panic mode the day after Thanksgiving and it only gets worse until that dreaded deadline date December 25th. That is most people do this every year; others have had the foresight to shop earlier or make things themselves throughout the year.

I've discovered this year that as much as we have made things when my kids and my grand kids were growing up to their young adult years, some of them don't realize that someone made everything in any store.

I have a granddaughter that acts like if it's from a store, it's better than home made. Now I'd agree with her if it weren’t that I don't make crap and no one I know in the family does. We've all come from a long line of craftspeople; men and women who take pride in fine work from their own hands. So I don't understand the mindset that this modern day crap that falls apart most times before you've played with it more than an hour, or the first time it gets washed (if it's clothing) or even a toy.

I spent 24 hours of work time into making a one of a kind, hand crafted snuggly, cuddly big teddy bear for my great granddaughter only to get it opened and thrown aside with the comment, "Yah!"
Now my grandson who is only 2 years younger than my granddaughter (the uncle of the baby) went nuts. His eyes light up and he grabbed it saying, "Gramma, you made this.... It’s Awesome!" And every other person that has seen it has made similar comments even when I wasn't around.

So here I sit on Christmas Eve, alone. I did all my shopping early. Had all the stuff wrapped, packaged and shipped to wherever it was going 2 weeks prior to the rush. All the local things were delivered a week early. And I've been looking for some church that still holds candle light services. Good luck!
I've even heard of one church that won't be having services on Sunday because it's Christmas.

What in God's name has happened to this world?

I don't get it!

My turkey is thawing and I'll be here alone, but I'm not going to let myself be depressed. Why?
Well I could be if I'd let myself, because of all the people that say they love me; one got me a gift
and it was unwrapped and given to me 4 days early. (10 cans of assorted canned fish)

I received one wrapped gift that I opened last evening with two little girls that live in this apartment complex. The oldest girl worked and earned enough money to get me an old fashioned little girl bell ornament that she picked out, and wrapped all by herself.

I got some e-mails: one from my baby sister that promised me she'd still intended to send me something for my birthday that was last September and oh, Merry Christmas. Another from my step-daughter telling me the kids were salivating over the package Gramma sent them all, because they love the gifts I send, and oh, Merry Christmas they'd try calling later.

My other daughter invited me once again to the madhouse she's living in for Christmas day. 5 teenage boys 3 adults and seating for 5. A table the size of a card table, that is on stilts with matching chairs. ( I need a ladder to climb up on the chairs to sit at the table; I'm lucky I don't get nose bleeds from high altitudes.)
I said to her.... and I'd want to come over and do what? Watch everyone open gifts and feel like a stepchild? or I could eat a bunch of tranquilizers to be able to stand the noise and ruckus for a couple hours while you all celebrated and I watched? Or I could stay home and eat whenever I wanted. Get up and go to bed whenever I wanted. Sit anywhere I wanted. Even go to church if I could find one of the suckers that were having candle light services. That's a real toughie.... lol. Peace, quiet and comfort vs. fights, arguments, watching ungrateful people open expensive gifts they will only toss aside and look for more to open while part of the family spends Christmas with the wealthy branch of the family and ignores us. I'll also not miss watching my daughter cripple around on a bum foot cooking for a bunch of chowhounds that inhale their food faster than the speed of sound, so they can get back to their video games.
Nope....
I'm not into that. I'm into celebrating Christmas, not doing a rerun of Thanksgiving only this time with gifts.

Jaded? Yes! Upset? Kind of! Hurt? That too! But only hurt because my own family is ignoring the reason for the season and has fallen into the gimme-gimme-gimme mentality.

So, I'll stay home for Christmas and count my blessings.
1. I don't have to get up and go to work.
2. I can do whatever I want; whenever I want.
3. I can cook a big meal or not; it's my choice if I want to be eating leftovers for 3 weeks instead of one.
4. The pie I made will last me all week...WOW!
5. If I can find a service I can celebrate with other believers, if not, I can still celebrate in my own heart. Thank you Lord for being born into this world so that anyone that believes in you, can and will be saved from eternal death and will go to heaven to be with you when we give up this body.
6. I'm healthy, happy and free to be whoever I want to be because I live in the United States of America.
There are more things, but why worry about them? What I've listed is plenty of reason to be happy.

So all you other loners out there stay happy. God gives you just what he wants you to have for your own development. After all we are living lives in preparation for the next life. So Celebrate! Open the greatest gift you could ever receive…. your own hearts and receive Christ’s love. Merry Christmas!

Labels: Editorial Comment

posted by Jan myrz @ 2:57 PM