By Nancy A. Pritchard, Life Mastery Consultant

The Not So Big Christmas – Day 15

                                                All That Remains

 

I know that my parents spent hours wrapping many brightly colored packages for my sister, Kristi, and me to open each and every Christmas morning. The truth is, I don’t remember any of those gifts. Not one of them. To tell you the truth, I only remember a handful of the gifts my husband and I bought for our own children during their childhood years.

The material stuff…doesn’t last. The memories you make with those you love? Those memories are what endure.

 

I asked friends and family to share some of their favorite holiday memories. Here’s what they had to say:

*Every year, my Dad made the best homemade fudge

*Each year, we visited the Christmas light ‘spectacular’ at our local state park. We got a huge yearly chuckle watching as ‘Frosty’ a live costumed character, gathered so much gravel dust and road grime over the years that he became the grayest snowman any of us had ever seen!

*My family attended Christmas Eve services together, then watched the Christmas service from the Vatican on TV when we arrived back home

*My parents always took the entire family along to pick out the family Christmas tree. One year, it was so cold we kids refused to get out of the car. Mom and Dad were not happy!

*I recall the year the weather kept us completely homebound, so we stayed inside, shared a few gifts, then fed peanuts to the hungry squirrels who came right up to our doorstep. (I’m pretty sure that was our cats’ all-time favorite Christmas!)

*I remember driving to Walmart at 6 a.m. one Black Friday morning with my sister and four of our cousins, just to see what all the fuss was about. (It was the one and ONLY time we did that!)

*I loved The Nutcracker Advent calendar we set up each year

*I enjoyed placing the baby Jesus in the manger under the Christmas tree first thing on Christmas morning

I find it interesting that the above memories cost very little in terms of time or monetary investment. Yet, these are the very reflections that endure.

 

I hope that you’ve found some helpful ideas within The Not So Big Christmas blog. There are truly no limits to the ways you can make your holiday season easier, more cost-effective, more meaningful and less commercial. Mix and match these ideas as you see fit until you create a holiday season that feels just right to you.

I wish you and yours the peace and joy of a simpler, more genuine, Not So Big Christmas!