Our company Cristmas party is tonight and while I look forward to the "get together" with co-workers and friends, at the same time I am just a little aggravated that its the 2ND day of December and we are already doing a Christmas party. Every year it seems to get earlier and earlier. I keep thinking the company picnic and the Christmas party will evenutally be merged as the "summer picnic" gets later and later and the Christmas party gets sooner and sooner.
We have found thru the years that people don't really like giving up their Saturday night to hang out with people they have worked with Monday - Friday and so the last few years we have done the party on a Friday night. The attendance is better but personally I hate having to race home from work, change clothes and rush frantically to make it on time to the party. The old days, when we had a party in the office was a whole lot less stressful. Even having to bring food instead of it being catered.
Seems like every year right around the 1st of December I am in the bah humbug mode. As it gets closer and closer to Christmas I start to come around and get excited about the hoidays. Not like when I was a college student and had 3 weeks off to lay around and hang out with my friends. Now its almost more stress than its worth. Balancing out who gets to be off work and who has to work....balancing all the various schedules of the people you want to celebrate Christmas or Christmas eve with. And with intact families becoming more and more an oddity it makes it even harder. Its not a big problem for me as my sons spend Christmas eve with me and Christmas with their dad. Now for Chris its every other year since he's married and Juliet and he alternate Mexioc and Oklahoma for Christmas. I guess I can't complain. I have it pretty good really in that regard. One single mom at work has 3 kids, 3 different dads, 4 different sets of grandparents and thats just the beginning of her "family tree". Throw in the stepkids and their mothers and grandparents, the distance between each of these various "family units" and you have complete and utter chaos.
I remember when the boys were in grade school and it seemed that more and more of their classmates were experiencing broken homes, I felt blessed that my boys had an intact family. One day close to Christmas Andy came home and said " I wish you and dad would get a divorce" He was about 5 I think, really pretty young to know what that fully meant. "Why on earth would you want that Andy, I asked.. Well, all my friends get to have 2 Christmas's , one with their mom and one with their dad. Thats 2 x the presents. I said "well you will have to settle for one good one with your mom and dad at the same time. Years later, as my dad drove them to the 1/2 way point to be picked up by their dad on Christmas morning and I saw the sadness on the faces of my sons I would remember that comment from long ago and think to myself the old adage "be careful what you wish for"
This year, I admit I've actually had some Joy moments in regard to the upcoming Holiday. For one thing, Joe and I put up a tree at my house. I haven't bothered with a tree since Andy left for college 5 years ago. Joe and I drove through the Muskogee Honor Heights Park Christmas lights...haven't done that in a long time.The lights were beautiful and amazing and the radio tuned to a station and synchronized with the light show was really wonderful. And, for the first Christmas in a long time I have not had the urge to take a bb gun to the blow up displays in the yards along the block because they are up way too early and I'm sick of seeing them by the time Christmas rolls around. I realize that the Christmas season is actually pretty great now that I have someone to share it with.
I am soooo excited that Christmas is on a Sunday this year because I will actually be able to be a Church on Christmas day. Since my family has always done Christmas eve celebrations, I have never been able to go to a Christams Eve service. A Christmas Day service will be even better I think. And especially this year because Joe will be with me.
Starting tonight, with the company Christmas party, I am vowing to grab back that childlike spirit about the holidays that has been so hard to find the last few years. Every single day until Christmas starting tomorrow I am going to do something Christmas like. Ok, maybe I'll start Sunday since bedlam is tommorrow. Go POKES! I don't think the its better to give than receive spirit is gonna be there for me tommorrow. Unless its giving Joe a hard time about OSU beating OU. Don't really want to be on the receiving end of the reverse situation, especially since we have agreed to wear the winning team's t-shirt for a week and buying dinner is at stake.
Ok, so December 3 is my Countdown to Christmas kick off. Maybe I'll just sit and look at the lights on my tree for a few minutes each night and reflect on my blessings. Maybe I'll bake Christmas cookies and take them to work. Maybe I'll ring the bell for the Salvation army one day. Or maybe just write out a few Christmas cards to give to our Hospice patients. Or watch a Christmas movie on tv. Somehow, someway, I intend to get back the joy and excitement that the real meaning of Christmas should bring.
As I type this blog I am humming Joy to the World, one of my favoite carols. I am looking at the beautiful red roses that Joe gave me last night for no reason at all and thinking "Its a Wondeful Life".
I'm thinking how much I look forward to an early Christmas dinner with Joe's sister and her family on the 18th and how much I am looking forward to seeing my siblings and nieces and nephews and dad and in-laws and friends on Christmas eve. I am looking forward to spending Christmas day with Joe instead of alone because the boys are at the Byers that day.
Maybe I'll even break down and buy a blow up Christmas thingee for my yard. Ok, thats going a little far. I have no idea why those annoy me so much. LOL
Happy 23 days until Christmas.
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