Christmas should be more home made and not store bought.
Easy easy, not getting all anti commercial or trying to sabotage stimulating the economy for retailers this Ho Ho Ho season of green and red.
But head over heels in debt, mountains of credit card receipts a Christmas bright does not make, right? My Mom from a Maine farm family of eleven. Always reminded her four boys growing up one important word. Moderation.
Seek out and find, make the perfect gift. The one the loved one on the list really really wants. But put a lot of the holiday time, money, love in to the bigger picture of Christmas. To start with, continue family traditions but around more larger life purposes, meaningful areas. Helping those that know real hunger, kind of a carry over of sharing the Thanksgiving harvest of bountiful food theme should be part of the local Maine celebration.
Soup kitchens, food pantries, putting on meals for shut ins, the homeless, the lost, tired, depressed and confused are the “others” the church sermons spot light.
Remembering not home for Christmas, out of country service men and woman, their families with cards, home made goodies.
Knitting mittens, scarves for those needing them more than you and I. Special attention to reaching out to kids that deserve a Christmas like you provide your own should be a nagging poke in the ribs. Kids deserve to know Christmas, Santa and his flying reindeer are coming to town.
Making sure where they live is warm, safe, secure and that no one is left shivering, cold, forgotten. Caring for others in your local Maine community without calling attention to yourself in the process. Lots of behind the scene steps taken individually by secret Santas. Are you one every year? Is that the real Christmas that hits home for you, brightening it, providing it for others ?
And Maine church, civic and service groups amplify individual efforts where the real Christmas treasure is. Your kids are watching, learning about the responsible side of the end of the year holiday. That is more than electronic gagdets, anything requiring batteries, expensive accessories.
Repairing broken relationships caused by divorce which over fifty percent of us struggle through, endure, weather the best we can.
Some long long in the past wrong that was not righted. Causing family splits the parents, grandparents if alive would be bring you to task about. Reaching out, again. And again. So others know you care, forgive, and take ownership of your role in the relationship train wreck. Family is everything, the only thing that matters like food and water to survive, to enjoy a rich life experience.
Too many people get to the point of it’s just easier not to stir up the painful memories.
But going back and reaching out to loved ones, especially in your family is more hurtful for everyone if you don’t. The wrist lock of mental barb wire will drag you down, continue, not go away.
Like an embedded poisonous sliver of sharp glass that gets harder to remove as it lodges deeper. Becomes part of you. A daily reminder you can not stuff, bury, cast off, just forget. Like an elephant in the the room that causes all kind of problems. Distracts, derails any of the joy of Christmas that depression, rejection, or just being all alone, thinking no one cares can cause.
Not fun, warm and fuzzy to talk about, but needing to be brought out in to the holiday lights, ribbon candy, egg nog and peanut brittle hoopla too.
Don’t choose to get angry, frustrated, or rationalize the way it is that you wished it wasn’t is beyond you. That is not healthy, loving, kind. Casting blame on others when we all have a hand, role in making a mess of life’s events. Repair, reach out, forgive and seek continuation of family relationships. Communication that was once in place but got horrible misplaced.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year from the giant staff of the Me In Maine blog.
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Andrew Mooers, Maine Real Estate Broker – REALTOR
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com