warning: there will be no uber cute isa photos in this post. so if that's a problem, just skip this one and wait for the next ;-)
in keeping with the rest of mommy blogdom, i felt compelled to do a little reflective posting about the holiday season. to those who know me, it should be no huge surprise that i am not an overly traditional holiday kind of person. don't get me wrong, i love holidays and traditional... just not in the americana kind of way. i like the idea of giving but could do with the fat man in the red suit.
now that isa is getting older, this christmas is a whole new ballgame. we are forced to make conscious decisions about the christmas we present to isa. is it one of super consumption and chinese made toys? or one in which we exemplify the life we try to live and the ideals we strive for? well, honestly a little of both. there will be a tree with very special ornaments, there will be special gifts, but there will hopefully be important lessons as well-- that involve compassion and giving and open-mindedness. it is our goal to have some sort of "service" in our christmases... not in the religious sense, but more in the giving sense. whether that be charitable donations or volunteering time, we want isa to value what she has and give what she can. we want to put what little money we have where our mouth is, to be so cliche.
so this weekend we will put up our tree and hang our special ornaments (each with their own story) and begin creating a tradition for the three of us- one that will hopefully affect more than just our little family.
the end.
OH, if more people could feel the way you do, Blair!!! Christmas is
ReplyDeletefar too commercialized with so much
money spent on things that will be opened, used for a short while, tossed aside and forgotten.The
best Christmas gift you can give Isa is the desire to give to others and seeing the joy it brings. I love you so much and even
more for the commpassionate woman you have become.
This is us exactly! I tried not to sound like a scrooge on my blog, and didn't even admit that we're not "doing" Santa with Elisabeth. People hear that and go crazy, picturing a neglected child who will cry about not visiting Santa at a department store. It's hard making these decisions amidst the culture we live in. All of our new traditions as a family will center around nature's cycles and changes. This seems to fit us well.
ReplyDeleteWell, Happy Holidays to you anyway :)
I still believe there is a Santa
ReplyDeleteClaus!!!!!!!!!!!!
During the tough times, providing for
and giving what children wanted from the big fat man in the red suit always got me through the some trying years,ie color blaster that did'nt work but was worth the 2 hour drive to find.
Giving to others should be a year round habit,and I believe your family will be givers,but allow Isa the chance to go to bed Christmas night wonders if she heard reindeer on the roof.
SANTA'S ELF BUB
here.here Bubba Y**Y
ReplyDeletesorry blair and phil... but I'm for the wonderment of Christmas AND the reason for the season... Santa and Merry Christmas was always part of our family's traditions and celebrations.. Ask Phil about LEGO's and Star Wars stuff that he dreamed about...- - wow.. We believe....but, we will respect your traditions and still remain grandparents that will spoil.
to bub: no one said we didn't believe in reindeer ;-)
ReplyDeleteEven before having Lucas I've been wanting to find a way to tone down the gifts and craziness around Christmas and to focus more on spending time with family and giving blessings (and not necessarily the kind that are wrapped in red and green paper).
ReplyDeleteWe've never celebrated Santa so that part is easy to leave out, but we're also still trying to find the best way to create our own traditions - and there are some that may not mesh with our parents and the rest of our family. That part is hard and awkward - my mom and I had some tense days earlier this month. But even while this year and those moving forward will be different than those past, we'll still be focusing on the most important things this time of year.