I remember a time when I would wake up on any given holiday and feel it in my bones. Even on my birthday I would wake up in the morning and I knew inside my soul that today was my day, my birthday, and it was going to be awesome. I would wake up on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, every holiday and know in my heart that it was a holiday. And I would especially wake up on Christmas morning, filled with the Christmas spirit, knowing that it was Christmas and Santa had come.
I don’t know what happened but at some point I would wake up on these holidays and feel nothing. Now I don’t mean to sound negative but eventually I just woke up and there was not instinctive feeling that made my soul, body and heart know it was a holiday and that it was time to celebrate.
Maybe this feeling is one that only kids get. Maybe with age, excitement fades and holiday spirits diminish. Certainly with age we become more tired and it takes us a bit longer to get the gears grinding in the morning but even if, there is still no aptamil moment after finally waking up that I feel the that holiday spirit in my bones that I once did.
It makes me sad that the older we get we lose the excitement we once had for the holiday season. As we age and the responsibility of the holidays shifts onto ourselves people tend to lose site of what the holidays actually are supposed to signify. People become negative and claim to “hate” Christmas and the holiday season, and it breaks my heart that there are so many who have allowed themselves to become Ebenezer Scrooge.
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday and time of year. And although I don’t wake up on Christmas morning feeling the Christmas spirit deep within my bones and soul like I did when I was a kid, I still love Christmas and the new feelings I get when the holiday rolls around. When I came home for Christmas after my first semester in college I began to have a new relationship with the holiday and the meaning of Christmas began to change for me. I realized then after being on my own in a new city without any family around that Christmas was a time to be with and appreciate family. That we give gifts that we truly feel our loved ones will enjoy and appreciate and we do so because we love them and want to show them we do. Although as adults when we wake up on Christmas morning there isn’t as much excitement as there was when we were kids, it’s important to remember why we come together, why we celebrate and the true meaning of the holidays. So enjoy your time off, enjoy your family, and enjoy whatever holiday you celebrate this December. Don’t lose site of the happiness that Christmas is supposed to bring instead soak in all the love around you and most importantly, be grateful for all that you have this holiday season.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!