What is the deal with Santa?
Is he real? Santa, are you for real?
Or is he not? Santa, can we survive Christmas without you?
Is Christmas as magical without Santa?
Where do you stand? Some of you think I am thinking too hard, but really, I cannot decide where we fall.
Do we play Santa up so we have these fun moments talking magic and presents and giving and reindeer and sleigh bells and chimneys and cookies and twinkling eyes and rosy cheeks? And just enjoy the few years that we have of enjoying this fun. Dreaming up answers to their crazy questions. Going along with it all. After all, it is so sweet and fun. And doesn't last too long.
Or do we go against the norm. Tell our children the true meaning of Christmas and then live it. Christmas really is all about JESUS! And HIS BIRTH. And the coming of our Savior. So many have already missed it. As we play up all this Santa and presents I feel like we (our family) are missing it. And we are missing it while we are trying NOT to miss it. My girls know why we celebrate Christmas. But the truth is we all still have a hard time focusing on that. We are still very excited about Legos and Horses and Books and Clothes.
And I know we can focus on Christmas, enjoy Santa and still have a perfectly wonderful meaningful Christmas. This is NOT what I am saying. Our family is having a hard time balancing both.
I go from, "Christmas is Jesus' birthday!" to "What did you ask Santa to bring?"
Ugh.
Art and I have spent some time talking about this lately. It would be so nice to buy what we need throughout the year and just have a few small things for Christmas. So we aren't waiting for those big things on Jesus birthday. After all, it is HIS birthday. What are we giving Him?
Ugh. What ARE WE GIVING HIM?
Now THAT is a conversation I would love to have with my children. That is a question I would have loved to come up with on my own. But I am too focused on the other STUFF. The harder I try to tackle this in my head the more confused I become.
Its not make or break.
But I would love some thoughts! And help!
Christmas is simple here. Not a whole lot of fancy going on here.
We are still at the beginning of our family and building traditions and legacy.
I want to do it right - at least half of the time! : )
i know friend. it's confusing. theres a tension and i think it's ok. i am resting in my head - that my family is growing and moving towards less of us and more of HIM. we do love santa and a magical christmas. i did read jen hatmaker's thing and agree with her but i'm not a bad person or not following God's will if santa is in my house. sure - we could migrate that way and i'll leave that up to him. maybe just like the school decision. it's a year by year? you are awesome and so is your family. keep seeking Him and i like being weird and in the minority with you.
ReplyDeleteDitto ditto ditto! One moment I feel all accomplished because my boys go shouting it's baby Jesus' birthday in 6 sleeps (as you say) and then I feel like a failure when the 3 year old rattles off every item he has ever laid eyes on when my sweet neighbor asks what he wants for Christmas. And in the midst of it all I just want my little family and our immediate families to see Jesus all over our family but I'm also WAAAYYY overwhelmed with all I need "TO DO" before next week.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the balance? Is there no way to balance them both? HELP!!!
Great post, sweet friend!
Clan Douglas, also referred to as the House of Douglas, is an ancient family from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.
ReplyDeleteClan crest of Clan Douglas
The Douglases were once the most powerful family in Scotland. The chiefs held the titles of the Earl of Douglas, and following their forfeiture the chieftancy devolved upon the Earl of Angus (see also: Duke of Hamilton). The 4th Earl of Morton held the chieftaincy during the 16th century, the Earldom of Morton was then a subsidiary title of the 8th Earl of Angus after the 4th Earl’s forfeiture and death in 1581.
The family’s original seat was Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, but they spread to many properties throughout Southern and North-Eastern Scotland.
Clan Douglas, also referred to as the House of Douglas, is an ancient family from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.
ReplyDeleteClan crest of Clan Douglas
The Douglases were once the most powerful family in Scotland. The chiefs held the titles of the Earl of Douglas, and following their forfeiture the chieftancy devolved upon the Earl of Angus (see also: Duke of Hamilton). The 4th Earl of Morton held the chieftaincy during the 16th century, the Earldom of Morton was then a subsidiary title of the 8th Earl of Angus after the 4th Earl’s forfeiture and death in 1581.
The family’s original seat was Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, but they spread to many properties throughout Southern and North-Eastern Scotland.