So you did it. You were determined not to succumb, but you did. Your eyes were bigger than your stomach, you were so hungry you ate a horse, a ham, a turkey, a turducken. You ate the turkey and the stuffing too, and now you're stuffed. You scoffed down the egg salad and now you are as full as goog. Its only once a year. Its Christmas. Next year you'll be better. Or maybe I'm just talking to myself? I didn't even talk about dessert!
I was very conflicted about Christmas this year. Eating, knowing I'm going to be blogging about it the next day was certainly playing in my mind. But mostly it's because my kids are getting older. To santa or not to santa? To lie or tell the truth? To spoil them rotten or to simplify? To shop or not to shop? It didn't help that I left ALL the shopping until two days before Christmas and had to fight the crowds, the rush and my will to just go home and lie down. I've had so many good intentions throughout the year to make Christmas more about Jesus, others and generosity. In the end, I think we did Christmas much the same as we did the year before.
BUT it was good! Some of our family we haven't seen all year! And it was so special to get to share a meal together. Lots of yummy food warms hearts. Seeing the kids' faces light up when they opened their gifts, and that they were so thankful! (I must have done something right). The kids playing and laughing and celebrating together helps the mums and dads, aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas to reminisce and remember and bond.
At the end of two days of Christmas for our families, I had loved it, I was filled with joy, but tired. Our celebrations are so special, and eating together is such a vital part of celebrating. And I appreciated it. It's a part of our culture.
And my heart turned to the millions of people in the world who can't celebrate, those who are lose their cultural celebrations because they don't have food, and sometimes no reason to celebrate. Many don't know it's Jesus' birthday. Many don't know their own birthday, and would it matter if they did? Girls who are enslaved to prostitution, child who are stolen from their homes, those who search for food in the rubbish dump. Freedom is truly something to celebrate, and those who have it should fight for those who don't.
And that is something I want to fight for every day, not just on Christmas - that others can have freedom to celebrate, that others can be free to eat and free to live.
So for next year ... what thoughts do you have for your Christmas?
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