Deck the Halls
I absolutely love Christmas, everything about it: from the decorations to the music, food, gatherings, and the celebrations. I get caught up in all of the festivity and proudly become all the merrier.
While Christmas is often criticized for its commercialism, I view it as an opportunity for me to show all of the people who give so much to me throughout the year how much I appreciate them. My ability to give of myself is naturally limited by the fact that anything I "do" requires the assistance of another person, thereby converting the gift of myself into the gift of Loa plus whomever assists me. Given the fact that I have many people who help me, I use different people in my various endeavors to give back and show appreciation for other people within my circle. Christmas is my chance to play Santa Claus and give to everyone who gives so generously to me.
As much as I enjoy all the merriment, festivity, and gift giving, in my mind, it is the traditions that truly make Christmas the happiest season of all. Whether they are multigenerational long-standing traditions or the repeating patterns that occur each year and have morphed into tradition, I cherish how the time spent with those I love becomes exponentially more meaningful. The spirit of the season and the ritual of tradition somehow make the time spent together, regardless of the activity, more intimate. Perhaps it is these special moments that make Christmas my favorite holiday.
While there are many traditions I could elaborate on, my very favorite is the annual decorating day at my sister's house. Every year I show up on the appointed day, with my full Santa bag in tow. It is something I have done every year with Soley, ever since she grew up and moved out of the family home. It became cemented as a tradition when one year her husband, Wick, said, "I assume we will be doing our annual tradition where your sister comes over." Knowing that I am so completely entrenched in their family tradition is one of the best gifts I receive each year.
There is nothing more beautiful in life than knowing you are bringing joy to those you love, except of course spending a fun filled day in their company!
The tree is typically in its stand, ready to go when I arrive, but the day truly commences when I cross the threshold. I am immediately bombarded with hugs, kisses, little boys digging through my Santa bag looking for their advent calendars, and queries being shouted to their mother over whether we can get started because, "Loa is here now." The day proceeds in a whirlwind of transformation where the normally tidy rooms become cluttered with storage boxes and bins. By the end of the day the mess is gone, and the home is transformed into a winter wonderland.
It is not only the day itself that is a tradition, but the little rituals that recur each year becoming traditions within our larger tradition. My brother-in-law always joins in at some point, so he can claim participation by hanging an ornament or two, and of course is commandeered for his height in order to finish the top of the tree. Once all the boughs are fully adorned, it is into the Santa bag once more, from whence "I pull out" wrapped parcels to place under the tree, ensuring the festivity and anticipation are at maximal levels for my little nephews. While the warm, midday, ham and cheese roll ups have become a part of our tradition, so too is my supervision of the boys decorating the smaller tree while their mother prepares lunch. During this activity, I fondly watch on while the eldest, Wickliffe, gets annoyed with his brothers' decoration placement, subsequently rearranging them in much the same way I did when my sisters and I were younger.
For those who might, not unreasonably, believe that I am simply sitting in the corner on this festive day demanding repetitive droughts of my hot tea and bossing everyone around, my presence is integral and certainly anything but passive. My primary role consists of supervising my nephews in order to prevent a tree skirt made out of shattered glass should they merely throw glass ornaments into the tree rather than fasten them securely. However, whether it be from entertaining my nephews, to debating critical design choices with my sister, and coming up with creative new ideas, the house would not come out looking the same without my being there.
As much as Soley and I enjoy decorating, for me the true joy of the day comes from the delight expressed at my arrival, and with the Newell family knowing that it heralds the beginning of both a beloved tradition, as well as the Christmas season. It is no wonder that I have chosen to heighten that excitement with my bag of goodies, because there is nothing more beautiful in life than knowing you are bringing joy to those you love, except of course spending a fun filled day in their company!
Remember to cherish your friends and family this holiday season, they are a gift beyond compare. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
What a beautiful gift that you give to your family and they share back to you, Loa ♥️