I love Christmas, I always have... so much so that my nickname in my house is The Crazy Christmas Lady! I'm the one counting down the days till I can reasonably put up the Christmas tree and trying to convince my now teenage son that matching Christmas PJ's is still a thing... Ok, I'm totally losing that argument this year but you get the idea.
For many people I know, Christmas is something that has lost its magic in adulthood. Instead of butterflies and counting sleeps, the festive season becomes one more thing to get through. As the saying goes, timing is everything and at the end of the year many are close to exhaustion, so the thought of mustering the strength to deck the halls and find not only the perfect gift but the Christmas spirit too, can be a little overwhelming.
My family is originally from Northern Ireland, so growing up, Christmas was a time my grandparents visited or we visited them. It was something you looked forward to, something you planned for and when it arrived it was all about savoring being with family, embracing the chaos and chatter and of course the food, lots and lots of food.
Prior to Quirk Space, I used to work in the construction industry (about as far as you can get from an online gift store but isn't life full of surprises). I spent many years in London and Christmas held a special place for me. The city that could be so grey and cold, softened under the Christmas lights. Coming back to South Africa, my job involved long hours, high pressure, make or break deadlines and volatile personalities but it also involved a wonderful thing called the builder's break! Effectively our industry shut down for a month over December and you couldn't get anything done, which meant you didn't have to try! The pressure was off. Once again Christmas time was magical.
The point of my festive ramblings... whether you love Christmas, like the Crazy Christmas Lady or feel the panic rising at the mere mention of it.... slow down, take a breath, let go and make the most of it!
Give up on the stereotypes and the social media make believe. Put aside the idea of what it should be and make it what you and your family want it to be. Spend time with the people you love to be with. Spoil those who deserve it, with the gifts of your time and attention and share your blessings where you can. It really could be the most wonderful time of the year