Re-thinking my Christmas spirit

I’ve been struggling with the idea of Christmas this year. Its feels like a big game of hoopla that I’m unwilling to participate in. And yet, the traditional Christmas makes for a good business month for us, a nice way to end the year. We still give gifts, but they are heartfelt. The gifts we give now are either handmade by us, or they are things or experiences that we know people would never buy for themselves but they would truly enjoy. The gifting is minimal, but exquisite.

We aren’t going to visit any family this year, and up until this week we’ve been absorbed in business busyness so I have felt almost no holiday excitement. I’m writing this piece at the same time that I’m realizing what is I want my Christmas tradition to be, the spirit I want to be in, and the gifts I want to give.

This Christmas I’m excited about the gift of time. With daylight hours being short and RAGGEDedge in our living room its easy to always feel like the work must get done before anything else. So this Christmas I plan to celebrate by doing all those other things during daylight hours I wish I did more often… I’ve proposed a hiking trifecta: The Buffalo, McAfee’s Knob, and The Cascades. Plus mom piped up and said she’d like to bike more of the New River Trail, and possibly Fairy Stone. Hank got on board and suggested Pandapas again. So its looking like an outside adventure kind of Christmas. Plus, let us not forget our craftyness projects: Mom is weavering; I’m quilting, painting, and mail arting; and Hank is making beats. The Hawk-Mo Collective is having a show in February!

Now I feel much better. I can wrap my head around what I want to celebrate this Christmas, and how. Because all I knew before is that there was no certain time off from school or work, no plans to visit anyone, and no desire to get involved in the holiday shopping pandemonium. And without all of that, what is Christmas anyways? That was my question. I think I have my answer. At least for this year. For me.

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