It's almost Christmas. Almost for most people. I had one of my Christmases this weekend. It lasted from brunch well into the night, and I was totally burned out afterwards. Being an introvert, I lose energy when I am around large groups of people. Don't get me wrong, I love my relatives, but enough is enough. I also celebrated my mom's, grandma's, and mom's-cousin's (does that make him my uncle or my something cousin?) birthdays this weekend. From my recent experiences with I-hardly-ever-see-you-and-to-be-honest-I-don't-know-your-last-names kind of relatives, I have learned a few tips and tricks. 1. Have a generic game, like ping-pong or ice skating ready. 2. If you really don't want to talk to people, or you need a break, suggest watching a movie. 3. Volunteer to help with food. It scores you major points with the moms and it gives you something to do so that you aren't just standing around. 4. Don't shoot a Nerf gun at your brother unless you plan on starting a war.
Also, if you are around younger relatives, be gentle with the Santa topic. I have never believed that Santa existed, but many young'uns do. I find it sad and somewhat heartless that parents will lie to their children. What do they mean to accomplish? Do they do it for their own pleasure, to see their kids being adorably gullible? Do they do it so that their kids will not feel "left out" when they look back? I have never felt like I was missing anything. In fact, when I was younger and more outspoken, I crusaded against Santa. To my mother's horror, I told her best friend's kids that Santa wasn't real. Don't do that. Let the parents tell their kids the truth so that the parents can take all the resulting tantrums.
Santa and religion. Religion and santa. Regardless of what some people think, the two have nothing to do with one another. Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth, not a commercialized holiday dedicated to shopping and brainwashing little children into believing that a fat guy dressed in red gives them presents. That's so creepy. I am grateful to my family for giving me happy holidays celebrating the arrival of the Savior on Earth. To me, three wise men traveling to Bethlehem is a much more romantic picture than one sleigh pulled through the sky by mutant reindeer.
No comments:
Post a Comment