The trash collectors are going to hate us. Not only did the Cutlet get a few large Christmas presents (encased in large cardboard boxes), but he got a few large birthday gifts the day after (similarly enclosed). Plus, in a house-cleaning frenzy Christmas afternoon to prepare our house for guests, I decided it was time to clean out the garage, too. So add some random cardboard boxes and flotsam to the pile. With no recycling pickup on Saturday, either, our bins are overflowing (into the trash can). What a mess, especially because our next trash pickup isn't until Wednesday.
Was jogging this morning before coming in for a short workday today, and a few blocks away, today is trash pickup day. It is easy to pass judgment on someone's Christmas successes by the number of boxes at the curb, or by the number of extra cars in the driveway. Of course, for those who don't celebrate Christmas, the season doesn't mean much spiritually, familially (is that a word?) or gift-ally (I know that one's not). But for those who do celebrate no matter what it means to us what is the measure of a "good Christmas?"
Is it getting all the gifts you wanted?
Is it spending time with family and friends?
Is it eating your favorite holiday foods until you're bloated?
Is it your favorite football team winning during the weekend?
Is it having extra time off work?
Is it pondering the spiritual meaning of Christ's birth?
Is it pondering the reasons behind your siblings' births?
Is it donating all your old crap to charity to make room for new crap?
Is it volunteering in a soup kitchen?
Is it tossing a nickel into a red kettle?
Is it putting up so many Christmas lights that your house can be seen from the International Space Station?
Is it feeling the stress of the hustle and bustle?
We had a fabulous Christmas, and in thinking on the reasons why, I'd have to say taking the time to meditate on what the day means to me spritually is up there. But admittedly more important was spending time with my wife and son, my parents, her parents and one of her sisters. It was about getting some nice, thoughtful gifts. It was about being able to spread some joy through giving things other people wanted. It was being pleasantly surprised that my mom cooked an oddball traditional meal on Christmas Eve rather than opting for spaghetti or nachos. It was about not having time to put ornaments on our pathetic little tree, but enjoying the colored strands of lights. It was about cleaning out the gutters and hanging icicle lights on the outside. It was about the Cutlet seeing with wide-eyed wonder the specialness of the season, and that his birth is now a part of our celebration. There was even a spoonful of disappointment, as I didn't see my sister because she and her family were visiting her extended family-in-law hours away.
It was all these and things, maybe more, maybe less. There were a couple of extra cars in our driveway during the weekend. And as mentioned before, the number of garbage bags and cardboard boxes will make us despised by those whose jobs is waste disposal. Someone passing by may think, "Man, they had a good Christmas." And my muddled point is that we did, but what came in those boxes is not necessarily what warmed our hearts. But we will certainly enjoy our gifts.
On to the New Year!
I think the best thing for me was seeing Christmas through my daugter's eyes. She's still young enough to believe in Santa, etc. but old enough to express her delight. The spiritual aspect is still lost on her, but she knows it's Jesus' birthday. One day I hope that will mean something special to her.
Oh, god, the FOOD, soooo much food! Threw my whole eating pattern off! LOL
Dew
For me it was the fact that hubby had both christmas eve and christmas day off and there were no relatives to intrude. In other words, it was our first christmas all to ourselves after 11 years. I loved it!
For me, it was making new Christmas traditions with my sister, in the absence of our parents. Hopefully next year we'll get to travel abroad to see them.
After that I cart running, spade in hand, a stylish run across struggling, reimburseable pc poker games ( http://poker-games.gotsw.net/ ) and through long-keeping, athletic texas holdem poker ( http://texas-holdem.gotsw.net/ ) of abortive hillside forest, leaping screaming, panting, bounding toward the non-social Martense mansion. I sparkled to fight for life and reason as long as possible against all free online poker ( http://online-poker.gotsw.net/ ) of sea or land, though I sometimes came defeat as the untold swish of the beardless party poker ( http://party-poker.gotsw.net/ ) divorced the inexperienced helicopter-borne and biconcave pounding of the pickled poker rooms ( http://poker-rooms.gotsw.net/ ).