Bah-humbug!

Last night I had the opportunity to share with a group of young moms. They laughed as I stood before them I declared I was a "card carrying member" of the Bah-humbug club. I must confess, we don't actually have official cards, and we kind of even avoid cards, since those take on a whole other meaning and life in the holiday season.

I am christmas resistant. Please note the little "c" in my christmas, because it's that part of the holiday I struggle with, the little "c" in christmas that translates to a big "C" in Chaos. It's of the Chaos of christmas that I am just not a fan.

A late Thanksgiving seems to exacerbate the problem. It's like you just start to wake up out of your turkey coma and it's time to hit the ground running, but not till Saturday because you'll just never find me out shopping anywhere on a "BLACK Friday." I tried it once and never made it past my computer screen. And then I asked myself, why would I ever want to make it past my computer screen? That's what Cyber Monday is for - (which truthfully, I didn't participate in that either) - but really, I'm an Amazon Prime member, so with free two day shipping I don't actually have to panic about christmas (still the little c) until at least the 20th of December.

I am the sole Bah-humbug member of my household. My oldest started playing Christmas carols (yes I gave him a big C) in early October - and he honestly waited as long as he could. The boy lives for Christmas (again big C) and manages to rise above the chaos of the holiday. (See, he exchanged his Christmas and chaos c's.)

My younger kids and their father, the biggest kid of the house, live for Thanksgiving weekend and the decorating of the casa. While I hide inside and try to hold them off at the front door, they live for lights and outdoor decor. If you drop by now, outside resembles a Christmas wonderland, but inside remains business as usual... but they are working on me, they want that tree, once I give in there, there's no turning back. christmas will vomit all over the house (still the little c, mind you.)

The shopping, the decorating, the wrapping - so much busyness packed into such a short amount of time. The hustle and bustle I see others seem to feed off just makes me want to retreat.

But they'll get me - they'll beg and they'll bargain and cajole until I've waited long enough into December not to fear a roman candle in the living room by New Year's and then we'll finally get that tree.

It's got to be a real tree - no fake ones for this girl. I love the family all piling in the truck and driving from tree lot to tree lot till we find the perfect tree... ok, that's not quite accurate, I love piling the family into the truck and heading out, but I am perfectly satisfied with the tree being found at the first lot we stop at. Nowadays everyone is tall enough to prop up their favorite and make their case. It's funny how they all make their pleas. Me, I'd love a short Charlie Brown tree, short being the key word, but I refrain from a little of the Bah Humbug when the parts of Christmas I actually enjoy are happening, like my four favorite people on the planet all being together for one single purpose and doing it with laughter and joy... that's the Christmas activity I can get on board with.

That night after we get the tree is one of my favorite nights of the season. Putting the lights on the tree is my big contribution to the holiday decor. It's the one thing I do. I put on a Christmas movie in the living room and start wading through the sea of lights, picking out and replacing the faulty bulbs and transferring the bundle on the floor into a string around the tree doing my best to hide every wire. Slowly the companionship ceases, the (not so) littles head off to bed, my hubby follows, or sometimes takes a snooze near the tree, and eventually even Jacob will call out "'night mom" as he heads to bed and I alone circle the tree putting every light in it's perfect spot.

It's a long night and somewhere between midnight and 3 am depending on the cooperation of the lights I find myself finished. It's the moment I wait for. I turn all the rest of the lights in the house off and I just sit back and admire the tree. I sort of bask in the light, if you will.

I wish the whole christmas season was like that, basking in the Light (big L) because it's my firm belief that that's what takes us from christmas to CHRISTmas.

I Bah Humbug not what Christmas is really all about, but what we let it become - when our focus is on what's going on on the outside and we leave the inside in a "business as usual way."

Christmas should be about Christ. OK, I'm not saying disregard the the decorations and the gifts we give each other, but I am saying that all should certainly take a back seat to the real reason for the season.

Emmanuel "God with us" is what Christmas is supposed to be all about. The Light of the world came into the world to save sinners. If Christmas never happened we would have no home in heaven to hope for. Jesus came, that's what Christmas is all about.

So I would encourage you this season stop at the tree, bask in the Light, and make moments of remembrance as to what you're really celebrating. Bah Humbug to christmas, Jesus is the reason for the Season, so Merry Christmas to one and all.