So yesterday I spent most of the day getting groceries, (especially when I thought I would be relaxing with a cup of starbucks doing a whole lot of nothing), and assisting Jill in baking Christmas Day desserts.
Once again my increasing dissapointment with Christmas as a commercial event was not let down. Long line ups, scowls, angry mutterings, and vicious drivers are everywhere. I went to Wal Mart with Jill last weekend and there was not one smile, or one word of good cheer to anyone. Especially to the cashiers. There were piles of discarded products piling up at teller checkouts. Remnants of a gift idea deemed not good enough for a greedy child, selfish wife or husband. The meaning of Christmas rings true today: "Buy, Buy, Buy!"
So at least I thought that yesterday I could enjoy the Stanley Park Christmas train, but no, I have to put up with my father-in-law's and brother-in-law's father's racist ramblings about First nations people wanting the lumber from the downed trees from the storm. So I continued to eat my pretzel and look at the lights.
Now it's Christmas eve, and I look forward to the holidays being over. Maybe when I have children the joy of Christmas will return to my heart. But for now it remains a commercialized machine that has forgotten the original message from which it came and it has made us all the poorer for it.
Eric.
2 comments:
Having children completely restored the "magic" of Christmas in our family. It's amazing to see the joy that the holiday brings when you see it with them. We just got back from the Christmas train ourselves.
Thanks for the comment. I guess its all a matter of perspective and seeing things from a kids viewpoint and enjoying the wonder of Christmas - rather than the negative.
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