Thursday, December 13, 2007

Its about JOY

This one goes out to all of you who have hassled me for not posting in awhile;)

Greetings beloved readers! Many apologies for not writing lately...you know how December loves to fly by. We've been doing all kinds of extra stuff for Christmas with lil T...every weekend has been busy with something: a parade, the old village at Millard's Crossing, making cookies, and of course, watching all the old favorite Christmas specials on the TeeVee.

One day recently, I remembered a friend telling me how deceitful she thought parents were to their kids when they "duped" them into believing in Santa Claus. She really believed that it was wrong. She maintained that it taught them to lie, or be misleading. Also something about dabbling in their reality. I guess she had some good points; i agreed with some of them( like the material greed for kids IS out-of-control...that's up to the parents to keep in check...there can be a happy medium) When she told me that her parents didn't do the "presents from Santa thing", i wasn't surprised.

Neither of us had kids at the time, so all i had to relate to her were my memories of Santa Christmases. I could vividly recall how exciting it was to imagine little reindeer on the rooftop- 8 of them, no less. i remember my parents telling me that they just saw an elf peeking in to spy for Santa, then singing "You better not pout, you better not cry......Santa Claus is coming to town". I remember learning to leave a cookie as a thank you for that jolly old Fella who was to somehow squeeze down our chimney...and feeling proud that he would see how pretty those cookies were because we made them special!

Flying reindeer? Fat guys squeezing down chimneys? Toys that have"Made in China" writing on them, put together by little jolly elves--in the North Pole?!?! Come on! It's crazy as hell, but kids buy it; and its soooo exciting to think that these magical things can happen all at once, this special time of year. I think one of things that makes it so dang exciting for kids is that the adults are finally "in on it", too. Kids live in a magical, imaginative world everyday. At Christmastime, we grown-ups get to play there, too.

This friend didn't get it. She told me that she felt the same way about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and other kiddy traditions. I tried to imagine her as a kid...it was hard to picture her having fun. In fact, she wasn't the sort that seemed to take joy in much as an adult, and i wondered if she knew how. Was there a connection to her stoic, cynical adult life and her childhood devoid of fantastical playing? I don't know, but let me tell you this conversation was a downer. Its a good thing that i was maxed out in all sorts of goofy Christmas accessories, such as red and white striped elven socks, or it might have spoiled my mood for the day.

I have no idea where this gal ended up. We were really just co-workers, so we didn't keep in touch. I still have a plant that she gave to me that Christmas. I can't believe it survived despite all my neglect, but somehow it did. It reminds me that, despite her negative slant on Christmas, she still liked to give gifts. Sometimes I think of her when i water it...i wonder what she's up to, if she had kids, if she's still Bah-Humbug.

Then i realize, if she has a kid it will be impossible to be Bah-Humbug. Whether its Christmas, or Halloween, kids are grown-ups' tickets into that special world of crazy elves and talking animals.

I realized, as i reread this post, that there are plenty of you without kids who are NOT Bah-Humbugs. YOu may have a Famous Seamus;), or another sort of four-legged family member to bring you joy...and i also realize that i am rambling on and on because i have many other tasks to get to and i am a great procrastinator and maker of run-on sentences....and i realize that i need to get to the point of this post.

Why write about this gal that i don't ever think about unless i'm watering a little ivy?

She's come to mind whenever I tell one of those ridiculous Santa stories to lil T, or when i LIE about seeing an elf peeking through the window at him. ( I now understand why parents perpetuate these traditions; its great LEVERAGE as well as being fun to see their excitement...let's be honest..) I also get a little sad when i try to imagine her as a kid.

So my point?
Its about JOY--find it! Seek it out with voracity! If its in your life, the most mundane things will bring satisfaction. It may be pretending that some fat guy in a red suit is going to deliver your kid toys from China, or it may be in making cupcakes, raising maltese babies, being a clown, being a good friend, skating, running (you crazies)....find that JOY...then pass it on.

ok, I better get to work. I have a bridge to build in TreadyTown.

1 comment:

Mary T-Allen said...

I agree that it's about joy! I see tons of kids every day and more than one has asked me if I believe in Santa (they are of a certain age) and I tell them truthfully that I DO believe in Santa! I believe in the magic of Santa and the spirit of Christmas and the wonder of sharing something exciting and joyful with impressionable minds. And I believe in celebrating that joy and magic in life, even if it's fantasy, until the day I die.