As a family of two, Christmas can sometimes be a challenge. Let’s face it, Christmas, as it is celebrated these days, is all about the kids. It’s all about the gifts. It’s all about who spends the most. I know this may sound bitter or harsh, but I have felt this way long before I knew we weren’t meant to have children.
I would like to be able to say that we both had some deep meaningful epiphany and decided to boycott the commercialization of Christmas; but in reality, it started because we couldn’t afford to buy presents for each other. Once we purchased them for our family there just wasn’t anything left for us.
I remember distinctly 13 Christmas’s ago I worked with a lady that was “all about the presents”. I mean, she went for it! She knew exactly how many gifts she had. She knew who “cheaped out”. She knew which gifts were “the best”. Her family knew they better buy good gifts or there would be "hell to pay”. That Christmas Wally was away. That Christmas, I remember her saying to me “What did you get for Christmas?” and then quickly saying “oh yha! You probably didn’t get anything.” Usually snide comments like that would feel hurtful to me, but not that time. I felt like Wally and I shared our own little secret. When she said that, a feeling came over me that showed me I didn’t need expensive gifts to make me feel happy. All I needed was Wally to come home safe and sound.
In the years since, we have had various forms of Christmas. Some years we did our own version of the “12 days of Christmas”. Doing this forces us to be really inventive with our purchases/gifts. Each night leading up to Christmas we open a gift until the last one is opened on Christmas Eve. Each gift usually costs $5-$10 ea.
Other years we have each taken $100 to buy for each other. That $100 had to buy stocking stuffers, gifts and any clothing that was needed for the holiday season. Believe me, it takes a little creativity to come up with lots of goodies with $100.
A few years we have “gone all out”, but the years I remember most are the ones where we had to get creative in our gift giving.
Every year when we bring the many boxes of Holiday decorations from storage the nostalgia seeps into my brain. Every year I repeat the same stories to Wally as each decoration jogs a memory from my past. Every year I get a little teary when I take the ceramic tree out of its box and look at the branches that were sanded too much and the seams that weren't sanded enough, and see the signature of my Dad on the bottom. Every year we have a tree that needs to have lights strung I feel the tension in my neck. Every year I get exasperated at some point while adding another little bob here and there. Every year, once the decorations are complete, I sit in the dark watching the lights twinkle next to the fireplace and feel the peace and solitude wash over me.
We haven’t discussed what we’ll be doing this Christmas in the gift department yet. I’m still working on getting everything for everyone else right now. What I do know for sure, is that Christmas Day will be spent trying to make a memorable experience for everyone that will be sharing the day at our home.
This year, it looks like Wally will be spending Christmas day on the ship; and unfortunately will be in the Gulf next year, so two Christmas Days in a row without him by my side in the kitchen is a little – OK a lot – s***y! What’s a girl to do huh?
How do you spend your Holidays? Do you have traditions carried on from childhood, or have you made new traditions in your adulthood? Come on….any of your lurkers….share a little and join the party!
I would like to be able to say that we both had some deep meaningful epiphany and decided to boycott the commercialization of Christmas; but in reality, it started because we couldn’t afford to buy presents for each other. Once we purchased them for our family there just wasn’t anything left for us.
I remember distinctly 13 Christmas’s ago I worked with a lady that was “all about the presents”. I mean, she went for it! She knew exactly how many gifts she had. She knew who “cheaped out”. She knew which gifts were “the best”. Her family knew they better buy good gifts or there would be "hell to pay”. That Christmas Wally was away. That Christmas, I remember her saying to me “What did you get for Christmas?” and then quickly saying “oh yha! You probably didn’t get anything.” Usually snide comments like that would feel hurtful to me, but not that time. I felt like Wally and I shared our own little secret. When she said that, a feeling came over me that showed me I didn’t need expensive gifts to make me feel happy. All I needed was Wally to come home safe and sound.
In the years since, we have had various forms of Christmas. Some years we did our own version of the “12 days of Christmas”. Doing this forces us to be really inventive with our purchases/gifts. Each night leading up to Christmas we open a gift until the last one is opened on Christmas Eve. Each gift usually costs $5-$10 ea.
Other years we have each taken $100 to buy for each other. That $100 had to buy stocking stuffers, gifts and any clothing that was needed for the holiday season. Believe me, it takes a little creativity to come up with lots of goodies with $100.
A few years we have “gone all out”, but the years I remember most are the ones where we had to get creative in our gift giving.
Every year when we bring the many boxes of Holiday decorations from storage the nostalgia seeps into my brain. Every year I repeat the same stories to Wally as each decoration jogs a memory from my past. Every year I get a little teary when I take the ceramic tree out of its box and look at the branches that were sanded too much and the seams that weren't sanded enough, and see the signature of my Dad on the bottom. Every year we have a tree that needs to have lights strung I feel the tension in my neck. Every year I get exasperated at some point while adding another little bob here and there. Every year, once the decorations are complete, I sit in the dark watching the lights twinkle next to the fireplace and feel the peace and solitude wash over me.
We haven’t discussed what we’ll be doing this Christmas in the gift department yet. I’m still working on getting everything for everyone else right now. What I do know for sure, is that Christmas Day will be spent trying to make a memorable experience for everyone that will be sharing the day at our home.
This year, it looks like Wally will be spending Christmas day on the ship; and unfortunately will be in the Gulf next year, so two Christmas Days in a row without him by my side in the kitchen is a little – OK a lot – s***y! What’s a girl to do huh?
How do you spend your Holidays? Do you have traditions carried on from childhood, or have you made new traditions in your adulthood? Come on….any of your lurkers….share a little and join the party!
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