Christmas 2020

For me Christmas 2020 has been like peeling the layers of an onion. We've often told ourselves that Christmas is not about this and not about that, but this year, my heart has been put to the test - peeling away the plans that we usually have for the year end, is the joy of the season set deep in my heart?

I have to confess that not being able to go for a 2 week family holiday at year end is a big bummer. I held off feeling that way quite well up until the Facebook throwbacks of Christmases past surfaced. It is as if I heard myself say,"This Christmas and year-end just isn't going to be the same." It is as if being told that there wasn't going to be dessert. Not sure where we would have gone this year but there would have been Christmas markets with the aroma of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. We would certainly have succumbed to something chocolatey and caramel apples. Peeling this layer of the onion definitely made me wanna tear. Failed.

Only thing that seemed to be
wrapped up is Cinnamon

This year we spent quite a bit of time clearing the home of things that should have been thrown out years ago - dusty and broken toys, the kids' books and clothes that they have outgrown, old gadgets that we thought made a lot of sense when we ordered them. It took some time to get started, keep going and to eventually reach the point where we felt like a burden has been lifted. I wasn't about to make the same mistake of clogging up the home with things we do not need again. So I told the kids that for Christmas this year I was only going to buy them practical things, things that they needed. And I didn't even wrap them because they aren't going to be pleasantly surprised even if they were wrapped. The best gift ever wrapped up was baby Jesus, and I won't try to compete with that. Hmm, think I passed this layer of the onion.

8 Christmas trees this year

We haven't had a Christmas tree for a few years now, well at least not one that is beyond a foot tall. I don't mind putting the tree up, but putting it away in time for Chinese New Year was always the challenge. We've settled for a 6-inch Christmas tree that we received from my sister-in-law several years ago. This year, we outdid ourselves - we also had chocolates that came in a Christmas tree design box, and 6 "Sapins de pomme de terre", Christmas tree shaped roasted potatoes, from Picard.  Trying desperately to inject some Yuletide cheers without having to deal with the stress of packing them away  - what better way than to eat them up. Definitely a pass for this layer of the onion, no need to be a Marther (whether the biblical one or M. Stewart) during this season, and save the time to be more like Mary.

Several days ago, I was reading Luke's account of the first Christmas. Peeling away the facade of modern Christmas, the real Christmas was far more extraordinary. It was a time when the angels that appeared on the scene were the real deal. They even sang. It was an extraordinarily tender moment when God decides to enter into His own creation in human form. How else would it be up close and personal? It was extraordinary because finally the hope of salvation is revealed like a bestseller self-help book. Nothing I can do or not do can out-do the real Christmas.

A blessed Christmas to you. May it be a reminder of God's extraordinary love for us.