Well, let me qualify that title. I’m not talking about the presents or the rampant marketing strategies retailers do to generate the income that will get them through the rest of the year. I’m not talking about Elvis songs, although the title is one of the Christmas songs on an album he recorded in the ’60s.
I’m talking about the way our attitudes and feelings change for the better. Don’t get me wrong, I know we all have our Scrooge moments, and the gift-buying can cause stress for many reasons: financial (can’t afford the gifts for your loved ones you’d like to get), emotional (loved ones who are no longer with us or an empty home because of living alone), frustration (what do you buy for someone who has the money to buy whatever they want for themselves?), and busyness.
I’m talking about the overall feeling of good will. People are reaching out and helping others. They’re donating to charities. They’re remembering people with thoughtful, not expensive gifts, like their hair stylist, cleaning service, and so on. Even the drive-through workers at our local McDonald’s occasionally say”thank you” when my husband goes through the line to pick up my once or twice a week treat of a Diet Coke. Yes, I know it’s not good for me. That’s why it’s an occasional treat. Don’t judge me.
I used to love to make things for others at Christmas. It started with my niece when I was in college and on a very limited budget. She was seven, and I made a Raggedy Ann type of doll and a quilted robe for her Christmas present from me that year. Over the years, I sketched pictures of my parents, framed them, and gave to them as presents. I made lap quilts for family. I did cross-stitched pictures and had them framed. I made macramé towel hangers and purses, which I lined with a satin fabric. I painted country scenes like a barn or cabin or a country church for my parents because they longed for their younger days.
Looking back, I realize those presents may not have been that meaningful to the recipients, but making them brought me joy. I hoped they would appreciate the hours it took for me to make those projects, and I hoped they’d appreciate the fact that while I was making them, I was thinking of them. I wanted to give them something special that couldn’t be purchased in a store, something that was identical to countless other items. I wanted them to receive something special.
I can no longer do many of those things, but I try to put as much thought into my gift-buying as I did when thinking of a project to do for my loved ones. It’s challenging, I’ll admit. And my inability to get in the car and drive to all the cute shops in our area to look for “just the right” present makes it even harder. I know many of you love online shopping, but give me the good old days of catalogs and in-person shopping where you can see a wide variety of things and pick from them without having to search for something specific. Not to mention the fact that when the item arrives, it doesn’t look like it did on the computer. Those of you who follow my blog know I write these blogs the same way I shop online: my laptop is connected by an HDMI cord to a 47″ television, and then I enlarge the screen so the font is about 30 pt. so I can see what I’m typing.
Maybe, though, the best present we can give someone is our time. Watch that ballgame with the men even if you’d rather be doing something else. Visit shut-ins. They get so lonely. Invite your widowed mother out for a day of shopping or at least go to lunch. I know I would love to have a daughter or sister in town I could call upon anytime I felt like getting out of the house and doing something. My husband is great about taking me where I need to go, but he can’t replace the fun and companionship of female conversation. Not to mention I could have really used another female helping me select gifts since I’m out of the loop with what’s new and trendy or useful. Shopping this year has been tough, and I’m not happy with what I’ve ended up with, but I’ve tried. So if you’re reading this and you are a relative of mine or a close friend, reach out to me next year the next time you plan a shopping spree for Christmas. I’ll pay for the gas and even your lunch.
With all that said, why am I still thinking Christmas is a wonderful time of year? Because of the music, the decorations, the smiles and “Merry Christmas” being heard. It’s the thoughtful Christmas cards received and sent (sorry, I didn’t mail any this year, but I did sign and designate 30 Christmas cards for the shut-in bags at church).
However you spend your Christmas, I hope it brings you joy, and I hope that joy continues. There are so many in the world who would give anything to have a shelter to keep them warm in winter, cool in summer, and dry when it rains. They’d love to be able to choose what they want to eat instead of eating whatever they can afford. They’d love to have clean drinking water and electricity 24 hours a day. Maybe some would just love to have electricity.
Most of us in this country are blessed with these conveniences, and we’re all guilty of taking them for granted.
The photo is one of my Thomas Kinkade houses given to me by my sister-in-law when her mother passed away. When I set up the five houses and church each year, I think of Dorothy. My favorite part of decorating is setting up my Christmas village. To me, the village represents the beauty and simplicity of Christmas in the past.
The title song ends with these words: “For if every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world it would be.”
For the hundred or so of you who follow and hopefully read my blog, I hope the good feelings of the season continue into the new year. Thank you for reading my blog. Your time dedicated to reading it is a gift you give me all year.
Thank you, and may God bless each of you in 2025.
