Christmas 2020 approaches. Amongst much hand-wringing and waiting with bated breath for direction from those on high as to how we can celebrate the holiday, my wise daughter made an interesting observation.
With a sigh she noted how it鈥檚 really just nice to relax. Amen.
During the more than two decades I worked in the News-Optimist newsroom in various capacities, Christmas was everyone鈥檚 least favourite time of year; not just in the newsroom, but throughout the plant. As we all scrambled to meet seemingly impossible deadlines piled one upon another to accommodate the hated 鈥渟tatutory holidays,鈥� Christmas was something that just 鈥渉appened鈥� at my house.
Nevertheless a few simple family traditions evolved. Christmas Eve was celebrated with a 鈥渇undue鈥� party. This initially included my little family of four and maybe a friend our two. As time marched on boyfriends, girlfriends and other pals were included, but it was never a big deal. Forward to two married children, spouses, children, in-laws, out-laws, elderly parents moving in close by and assorted special friends and the 鈥渇undue鈥� has become a monster. A fun monster, but still a monster.
My daughter is enjoying the opportunity to give it a rest this year. She was the primary host for that craziness. She said it was something she would be making lists for weeks in advance and have thoughts about it galloping around in her mind when she should have been sleeping.
We scaled back the gift giving several years ago, opting for an adult gift exchange based on a draw. That, too, was nixed this year. The draw approach wasn鈥檛 a big burden, but since we aren鈥檛 able to get together and no one wants to go shopping, it got a pass.
The focus is on making the holidays fun for a couple of young boys and just kicking back and enjoying the lights, the smells and the memories.
I鈥檝e had time to work on a few 鈥淪ecret Santa鈥� projects that I wouldn鈥檛 have even considered other years. Just simple gifts to give for fun.
This week my grandsons and I made gingerbread cookies, something in other years we had to scrunch in amongst other activities like going to concerts. We had fun and didn鈥檛 feel pressured or rushed.
Our family maintains our 鈥渂ubble鈥� after a fashion, but for the most part keep to our individual households. We won鈥檛 be getting together for a Christmas feast, in any traditional way, although we will come up with some way the great-grandparents can see the kids, even if it has to be from a distance.
Of course, I feel for anyone who is truly alone this time of year and I know some of those people personally. So, since we aren鈥檛 caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the culinary Olympics known as Christmas, we can take some of that extra time to reach out to those people in any way we can.
I believe the acronym is attributed to the United States Navy Seals, but Keep It Simple Stupid applies to Christmas 2020.
Enjoy. Take care. Be safe.
