It's Different This Year...

Wow... four days 'till Christmas, and I've hardly bought a thing! Four days 'til Christmas, and I'm not behind on my Christmas shopping...

Chris, Kayte and I decided to do Christmas very differently this year. Initially the thought was borne of pure economic necessity... it's been a tough year financially, and who needs the additional stress of buying things people don't need with money we don't have? Then it seemed that all around us people were going through difficult times. A single, self employed mother going through breast cancer, a 37 year old mother of two with rectal cancer, friends laid off, it went on and on...

We talked... does Chris, who makes $7/hour really need to spend his hard-earned money on Christmas presents? Did Kayte, who has two very high-maintenance pooches, really need to spend hers? Do the kids, at 24 and almost 22, really need a pile of stuff to open yet again? No... we don't need any of it... the stress, the pressure, or the expense.

So we decided to change it up this year. We'll buy each other something small, a book or video, and just enjoy family time. We decided to spend some time volunteering, so Kayte arranged for us to serve dinner at the City of Light Battered Women's Shelter on the 30th of December. Kayte and I decided to donate the money we would have spent on Christmas to the two women going through cancer treatments right now.

We aren't the only ones doing this - the beautiful thing about tough economic times is that it brings out the goodness in so many people! I shared our Christmas idea with friends, and found that many of them are doing the same thing! When people are hurting, and times are tough, it's kinda hard to care about getting the latest and greatest Wii game for the kids. We tend to focus outward a bit more! We're more aware that yes, times are tough for us, but there's always someone going through a tougher time, and we may be able to help. I'm seeing it all around me, every day.

Yesterday I delivered what I call a "Chemo Care Package" to the single mom with breast cancer. I was in awe at all the wonderful things her friends and acquaintances had done to help her through this time! A freezer full of food, cards with money and well-wishes, hats, slippers... all the things that would make this experience more bearable for her were there.

Christmas is different this year... it's brighter, more beautiful, and less stressful. I haven't missed fighting the mall crowds, searching for the ultimate sale, standing in line... I won't miss wrapping gifts, baking cookies that don't get eaten, running around like a chicken with it's head cut off... I don't miss having my living room rearranged to accomodate a 7' tree that we only care about two days!

Okay, sidenote... I do have a tree, I just decided to go simple with a 42" tabletop, pre-decorated, pre-lit tree and a wreath on my door.

I've enjoyed relaxing with my friends, buying a few stocking stuffers when I happen to run across them, and not stressing. I plan to have a wonderful German Christmas Eve, with friends, family and games, and a fantastic Christmas dinner with turkey and friends and family.

I'm excited about all the new and wonderful experiences we'll have this Christmas. I'm so proud that my kids have embraced the idea of making Christmas more about true giving where it matters. I hope that even when the economy improves and times are easier, that we'll make this our new tradition!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, or ever need to put together a Chemo Care Package, I got a lot of wonderful ideas at our local co-op that I'll share here:

First, our church has a prayer shawl ministry, so I brought a blessed shawl. This ministry is fantastic, and rather than me try to explain it, go to http://www.shawlministry.com/ to learn about it.

The "stuff" in the package consisted of:
Mint tea
Ginger tea
Ginger Ale
(all three should help with the nausea)
a buckwheat hull neck wrap that can be heated in the microwave (helps with the body aches from the chemo drugs) with mild aromatherapy
Ginger and regular mints (the chemo drugs leave a horrible metallic taste behind)
Ginger cookies (again, nausea)
Aromatherapy bath salts (with epsom salts to help with body aches and to relax)
Mildly flavored lip balm (the natural kind) for the dry lips that go with it all

Since we all either know, or will know people going through cancer, I wanted to share this with you so you can use these ideas. The one thing my friend told me yesterday is that she is so utterly, completely exhausted. So, other ideas to help are: clean and organize the house, drive to and from treatments, pre-write thank you notes and help update websites.

Okay, as usual, I got a bit off track here... but off-track is a great place to be sometimes!

I'll end with this: However you celebrate your Christmas this year, I wish you joy, blessings and health today and always.