Christmas For Me
Up until last year, we always volunteered on Christmas. It made sense. We were off from work, we had nowhere we had to be, and there were plenty of people who were in the opposite position, needing to spend time with family. So we did volunteer work.
And then last year, we didn’t.
And then this year, we didn’t.
This year, we ate appetizers for dinner on Christmas Eve since everything tastes better when it is on a toothpick. Then we piled into our bed to watch Fellowship of the Ring, which is our yearly tradition. Take whatever you sense about my love for Harry Potter and double it, and you come close to understanding how much I love Tolkien. The books, of course, but I also love the movies. So every year we watch the trilogy between Christmas and New Years.
Christmas morning, we all slept in and then ate cake for breakfast. Why? Because we freakin’ could. We spent the day reading books and playing video games. In the afternoon, I pulled together dinner, and then we played more video games and watched the Doctor Who special, chowing down on candy. By bedtime, I was finally done with sugar. Though not video games. I have terrific stamina for that.
It was a really fun day because it was completely hedonistic. And maybe we need a hedonistic day like that every year, though my Protestant work ethic gave me mad guilt over the idea that we could have volunteered… and chose not to. Which is a weird feeling.
I felt like Pinocchio in the Land of Toys. Even if volunteering is optional, there is a strange feeling when you know you can help out and you should help out, but you choose not to help out. Perhaps my guilt dial is stuck on ten.
Anyway, that was my Christmas. How was your Christmas?
15 comments
I’m glad you had a great day. It sounds like the kind of day I would love!
I’m glad you had a good day. Our Christmas was spent with family and was ok. It was bearable. Plus, like you, I had Doctor Who to watch.
Sounds lovely! Our Christmas Day was fairly low key since it was the 3 of us and we are prepping for the final family Christmas today.
And I love the LOTR movie trilogy!
I love the quiet lack of obligations on Christmas Day. I want to make it a volunteering day when my kid is old enough to be helpful, but for now I’m enjoying hedonism too.
I’ve done a great deal of volunteer work, most of it around social change. But at this point in my life, I don’t do any. There are periods that are inward and periods that are outward. The inward periods feed the outward I think.
Spending fun time with your kids and husband, this is the good stuff of life. Just enjoy it. Let them feel lucky to have you and vice versa. This sounds like a really lovely day.
I’m all about volunteering and giving bad to the community. But I’ve been learning how important having days off and special occasions are. And your’s sounds like an awesome one!
Over the holiday I was suppose to get a completed draft of my manuscript that is due in 3 weeks to my advisor. Instead I took several naps, read some old novels and indulged in a lot of movies. It means I will be sending off an apologetic email to my advisor, but I also realized I needed this time. Because otherwise I would crash at work and not meet the deadline.
Here’s hoping the rest of your break is just as wonderful.
Christmas: A five hour drive became a nine hour drive when we got a flat tire and then the spare finally flatted out.
And I still have a paper draft due soon.
Sounds like a lovely, peaceful way to spend Christmas! My Christmas morning was pretty low key, but we went to my in-laws’ house in the afternoon for dinner. It was LOUD. We spent all day yesterday preparing for the party we are having today. In just over an hour, there will be 27 people in our house. I have 8lbs of pulled beef in the oven, homemade bbq sauce on the stove, Christmas sangria chilling in the fridge, cookies made for the kids, and take-home gifts ready for all the guests. And this, right now, is the calm before the storm- I have my feet up, and I’m drinking a coffee. It should be a very busy afternoon!
I’m totally hooked on Candy box. But in a lazy kind of way: I leave it on in the background and check up on my lollipops every 24 hours or so. Get a better sword and try another quest and come back the next day.
christmas was quite OK so far, tomorrow the big family thing and we decided to dress up in evening gown / tuxedo. Looking forward to seeing my DP like that and click clacking around in a pretty dress. No make up though.
And as for volunteering? We’ve taken in an old friend of mine who is ill and in full time therapy. He’s been with us since Easter or something. I feel like I’m doing something, giving him food and shelter and part of our family life.
What a great Christnas. I love Tolkein too. The extended version of the movies is good because it moves slowly, which is more like the book. Although there are things I prefer about the books, for example the sense of mystery. My Chrhstnas was spent away from home with my in-laws and was quite traditional: brunch, presents, dinner, and U.S. “kids” watched the Star Wars movie in between. My dad is seriously ill which means uncertainty and sorrow is part if this time. But it does help me appreciate even more the time AJ is spending with all her grandparents and that I still have in laws who can cook us dinner and let me be a little bit of a kid. Since my parents may never again and one day none of them will be able to.
I’m not quite sure I’d call that hedonism. Indulgence, sure. But why not indulge, on a day when you can? I’m sure the whole family loved it – a day focused inward, on each other and what brings you joy. That can’t be bad.
Yours sounds lovely. Mine was fine, but I feel like it’s still going. My MIL is staying with us until next week. She’s a lovely lady, but she refuses to use the dishwasher and she doesn’t get the dishes she hand washes clean. This means that my days are spent trying to be the one to clean up after meals so that I don’t hurt her feelings. But then she feels unwelcome because I don’t have anything I “need” help with.
*insert vent about judgemental in-laws*
But overall, it was a great day that the kids really enjoyed.
Sounds like a great day. Miss E was thrillllled when I told her that she was allowed to eat animal crackers for breakfast on Christmas. No rules!
My Christmas was good. Family- & food-filled.
I think it’s great that you got your hedonism on (because of that default Protestant work ethic setting).
Mine was lovely–thanks for asking. :). We have developed our own holiday traditions over the years, from Christmas Eve through Christmas morning. This was the first year in a while that my mom has been with us, and her husband was grouchy about it in advance. That made me anxious that it might be a tough holiday, but In the end, I think they enjoyed our traditions and the holiday. It really was lovely. As for your guilt…sometimes you have to give yourself a break.