I watched a movie last night called "Snow Globe" about a woman who was looking for the perfect Christmas. She was so unhappy because her family was not perfect. In other words, they were normal. I laughed. Yes, we all have normal families, thank goodness. No perfection. What an awful world it would be if everything were perfect. None of us is perfect, but we are human. Often the pressure of having the perfect Christmas, buying the perfect gift, cooking the perfect meal, having the perfect decorations, gets in the way and people become overly stressed. It almost seems like too much work, and by the time Christmas Day comes along, folks are too exhausted to enjoy it. How many times in the past couple of weeks have I had people say to me,
"Are you all ready for Christmas?"
This year I have decided to concentrate on having fun. Christmas should be the time of year when we put away our cares from the previous months, and just enjoy the celebration. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is highly over-rated, in any case. Fun is always spontaneous -- the unexpected moment -- but, we have to keep our hearts and minds open for it. We can't do that if we are too busy striving for perfection. We all suffer from a common malady -- the human condition. And thank goodness for that.
It's just a few days until Christmas. I hope everyone can take a deep breath, have a rum and eggnog and relax. Have fun... And please, don't have a perfect Christmas...
This year I have decided to concentrate on having fun. Christmas should be the time of year when we put away our cares from the previous months, and just enjoy the celebration. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is highly over-rated, in any case. Fun is always spontaneous -- the unexpected moment -- but, we have to keep our hearts and minds open for it. We can't do that if we are too busy striving for perfection. We all suffer from a common malady -- the human condition. And thank goodness for that.
16 comments:
I have seen that movie and you make a very good point. Who wants a perfect Christmas anyway? We didn't have power last night due to a massive snowstorm so we made split pea soup on our woodstove, not perfect but soooo wonderful!
Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
I'm not looking for perfection - I'd just like for it to not be so STRESSFUL. It just is, every year, because we travel to see family & we have to do all this scheduling to fit everyone in. I wish we could just hold court & make them come to us when we're in town :) Hmm - I might suggest that for next year although Daddy & Amy might get tired of all the company.
A wise post, a great reminder at this time of the year.
Happy Holidays.
Your post resonates with meaning in our media perfected world. Perfectionism can stifle the creative and spontaneous spirit within our imperfect world.
I used to be one of the "searching for a perfect Christmas/Birthday/4th of July etc, etc type of person. I'm learning to let go of all that.
Yesterday I planned to make cookies with my mom and sister and daughter for my mom's birthday and I just sorta threw out a left-handed invitation to come celebrate my mom's birthday to my brothers & their families and everyone showed up and it was all very casual and we ordered pizzas and ate cookies and my mom had the best birthday ever!
Fun just has to happen, you can't always create it.
I should know better than to aspire to perfection in anything as I've never achieved it. Still, I try. Thank you for the wise reminder.
I agree that None of us is perfect...right...
so will do can't have a perfect Christmas as soon...lol...Merry Christmas....!
I have been given the gift of seeing old friends this Christmas season, but at a heavy price. Traveling tomorrow to Denver, back on Christmas Day. I'll let you know how it went once it's behind me.
Well said. Enjoy your imperfect Christmas, too.
There is no such thing as perfection because we all have our own idea of what perfection is for us/means to us. Its relative. You are right we should just take a deep breath and relax to have yet another imperfect Christmas..which later when we look back would seem so perfect (thats where this sentence comes from 'back in those days' or the good ole days) I am sure when we were in the midst of those good ole days we must not have found those to be perfect then -at that time.
Great advice. May you also have a less than perfect but joyous and blessed Christmas.
Call me Scrooge - because perfection is key!
No perfect holiday on this end. I gave that up a long time ago. ;-)
Hope you have a joyous one Jo!
Many people have unrealistic expectations of Christmas, birthdays, other special days. That leads to disappointment since reality does not match up with the imagined.
Your point about doing something spontaneous is very excellent since just getting out and doing something is not clouded with a lot of built up misconceptions.
Wow! That sounds waaay too formal - heh! Just go have fun! That is what I mean to say!
Put a surprised Merry into your Christmas! (And I hope Merry doesn't mind ... !)
Perfection=(what I call) the Martha Stewart syndrome! Spontaneity always makes for a more fun day, and that goes for every day of the year!
Your perspective is delightful - I agree, it's a perfect Christmas every time if only we take the time to see it so. Happy Christmas to you and yours and thanks for all the good reads this year!
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