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#290186 - 12/17/04 02:25 PM How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
zaibatsu Offline
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,153
Do you get depressed, nostalgic, elated, excited, etc...at Christmas Season? Why do you feel that way?

Please be honest, no cookie cutter answers that you are always elated because it is the celebration of the birth of Christ unless that is truly how you feel. It is certainly possible to celebrate the birth of Christ while at the same time feeling melancholy because you are lonely or have bad memories of this time of year.
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#290187 - 12/17/04 02:41 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Bengals Fan Offline
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Bengals Fan
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 8,990
Cincinnati, OH
I get excited! To me, despite the little problems between family members where they argue or do stupid things, having the whole family together is a great big blessing. Plus, it's fun to spend time listening to the kids decide what to get my parents! Little does my mother know, but she's getting a Chiapet Herb Garden for Christmas... My kids wanted me to get her a Shrek Chiapet, but instead I got the Shrek and Donkey chiapets for them and the herb garden for me and mom!

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#290188 - 12/17/04 02:52 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Anonymous
Unregistered

i love this time of year.
i love the weather, i love the cheesy christmas music that you hear when you walk through the store.
i haven't had a great chance to be out and about in the stores because of work but hopefully this weekend i will get out.
i love the smell of christmas trees and being able to use the excuse of christmas cookies when i put on some extra weight.
i love chuck berry's "run run rudolph". i love the christmas movies; "scrooged", "elf", "christmas vacation". i love the christmas specials with rudolph, frosty, hermie and "the bumble" because they bounce!
i love going over my grandmom's for christmas dinner and then having paper fights with the wrapping paper. this year, i will be wearing protective eye gear.
i feel somewhat sad this year because my brother, who is in kansas for the army, will not be able to come home because the goofball never got his leave papers signed. i hope to get a chance to see him before he leaves for the "wonderful" (sarcasm) deserts of iraq to protect our freedoms.
i love waking up in the morning on christmas day next to my beautiful girlfriend/future wife/best friend and having her ask me to stop snoring so loud (i don't snore by the way and i stand by this).
i love not worrying about myself and just sitting back enjoying the joys of others.
and this year, i will love the scrapple that i just bought last nite that i will eat on christmas morning because i haven't had scrapple in so long and it's so good.

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#290189 - 12/17/04 03:06 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
RR Sarah Offline
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RR Sarah
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,505
Up North
Normally, this is my favorite time of year. This year I feel like I am going through the motions only. This will be the first Christmas without my mom. She passed away last February. I do feel a bit lost. The holiday baking and cooking really brings it home because I can't just call up Mom and ask her a question about how much of this do you use and how long do you cook that. I miss her and think of her everyday but this holiday season seems to be particularly hard.
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#290190 - 12/17/04 03:08 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
redsfan Offline
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redsfan
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,455
The Pennant Race
My son still believes in Santa. Watching him open gifts and seeing his reaction gives me a feeling of indescribable joy. He is nine, and I know those days are quickly fading. I want to hold on to those days forever, but I know I cannot. I wish we all could still see this time through a child's eyes - I think we would be much more in touch with the "reason for the season" if we did.

I am happy to be able to share the company of my family and friends. Their presence makes the holidays special. We get to share stories old and new. It is good to be a part of their lives, and have them a part of mine.

But I cannot help feeling a littel twinge when I think about the friends and family that are not with us anymore, or are unable to be with us. And wondering, will we all be here next year?

For a number of reasons I won't get into here, I am spending more time this holiday season in prayer than I have for a long time. That time has given me a renewed sense of hope and purpose. I also have been experiencing a greater sense of peace and serenity. I feel God at work in my life more strongly now than I have for a long time. I'm not sure what the plan is, but but I'm sure there is one, and I am listening to try to find out my role.
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#290191 - 12/17/04 03:21 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Anonymous
Unregistered

Unfortunately, I don't like Christmas and can't wait until Dec. 26th when it's all over. I'm sick of the songs, I stress over what to get people, I don't like wrapping, I don't like putting up the tree, because it means I have to take it down and put everything away. The grocery store is crazy, so I can't get in and out fast for my regular shopping. We have no family gathering because my parents are gone and with working I'm too busy and tired to do anything at my house. I do ask an elderly neighbor over for dinner and feel good about that. Last year we left town around the 19th so we didn't put up a tree, went to visit MIL in Florida and it was the best Christmas because it didn't feel like the holidays. She doesn't have a tree, had very little presents to buy, no snow, no cold weather, it was wonderful. But the teenager hated it, so we are home with a tree, cold weather and snow flurries. YUCK. Don't know when I lost the joy. I do try to appear to like it for the sake of my kid. At least it's going to be over soon and that means I'm that much closer to longer days and warmer weather.

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#290192 - 12/17/04 03:29 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
beaten blind Offline
Gold Star
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 473
the Bat Cave
Very stressed - while I love the season and I am absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to give presents to those people I love, I also get stressed out every year. Everyone is my family thinks I have the perfect life (they are insane, I know!). Therefore, I am "supposed" to give the perfect gifts each year, wrapped up in beautiful, perfect packages, serve the perfect meal in my perfectly decorated home. I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to live up to these expectations. I end up having a good time, I just get VERY stressed in the days up to the celebration. I wish I could just enjoy the season like "normal" people. I'll just double up on the Paxil to get me through!

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#290193 - 12/17/04 03:34 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Skittles Offline
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Skittles
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 13,965
TN
Z - generally I absolutely love this time of year. This year, however, it's different. Not only do I live 600 miles from my husband, my mother is having surgery on the 29th and my aunt is in the hospital. I don't even have out one Christmas decoration, although my cards have been sent and all of my gifts purchased and wrapped. I'm not going to do the baking I usually do, and work is extremely hectic right now and everyone seems to want to argue with compliance (I know - go figure). I'm stressed to the absolute maximum.

Yes, I know, take a deep breath and remember what this season is all about. I do realize it will get better, but I'm just not in the holiday spirit.
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#290194 - 12/17/04 03:34 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
waldensouth Offline
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waldensouth
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,983
FINALLY ABOVE the gnat line
I love Christmas. I love the family time, everyone getting in the kitchen in each other's way and cooking "THEIR" dish, the teasing, the fussing, the laughter,etc. Christmas used to be spent at my Grandparent's home but they are gone now and I miss them. The last time I saw my grandfather alive was on Christmas Eve. I try to cherish the time with the family who can be there.

This year, I was responsible for putting together our church's advent devotions. All of the readings concerned the 2nd coming of Christ. This was a powerful experience as I thought of the 1st coming and how He was rejected because people just couldn't believe Christ was the Messiah. Hanging on to the feeling of anticipation for Christ's return is going to be a challenge but one that will be worked on every day this coming year.
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#290195 - 12/17/04 04:09 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Princess Leia Offline
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,975
Alderaan
Quote:

Very stressed - while I love the season and I am absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to give presents to those people I love, I also get stressed out every year.




Stressed & depressed. I started to type out the reasons, but it's probably TMI
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#290196 - 12/17/04 04:27 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
corkygirl Offline
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,241
middle of the country
Overall I really like Christmas. We have had to make adjustments in our holiday functions since our younger son is now married but it's the one holiday that we, "the family of the husband" get basically what we want. Sharing our son with another family is harder than we ever thought it would be, we generally get the "leftover time" but on Christmas we get Christmas breakfast, which I absolutely love. Our older son is married but his wife is from Indonesia and has no family here so we get to share our holiday with her. It's fun to watch her excitement on Christmas.
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#290197 - 12/17/04 04:28 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Bones Offline
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Bones
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,020
Land of Enchantment
I have always loved this time of year, but now it is even more special watching my 2 year old learn about Christmas and enjoy the decorations, etc. I enjoy the family time and giving gifts to family and friends.

I will be praying for those of you that are going through rough times right now. Maybe the spirit of the season will help you get through it all.
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#290198 - 12/17/04 04:56 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Angel Eyes Offline
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Angel Eyes
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,599
I try to do my best to enjoy the Christmas Season, my grandmother passed away on Christmas Eve when I was a teenage child so Christmas has always had some sadness to it for me. I also lost my father 5 years ago (he wasw only 43). It wasn't on Christmas but as I see my children opening gifts I always wish he could be here to see them.

I have fun buying the gifts and watching my children who all still believe in Santa. And I try to avoid all the negative Christmas comments, like I hate Christmas, I don't know what to give...etc.

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#290199 - 12/17/04 05:28 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Nanwa Offline
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Nanwa
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,564
Clintonville, WI, USA
Giddy, happy, blessed, generous, and sad. I love the music, the decorating, the gift giving (hate gift receiving!), the baking and eating, the volunteering, the get togethers/parties, the whole package. I feel blessed to have my Lord, my health, friends and family. I get sad when I think about my parents who died around the holidays so many years ago. I miss them most at this time of year.

But, I get that out of my system like this: I wait til MOML is out of the house. Then I play all the Christmas music that were Ma and Dad's favorites, or the ones that talk about going home for Christmas or together if the fates allow. I have a sobbing good cry, to release it all. Then, I am good to go for the rest of the holidays! Works for me.
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#290200 - 12/17/04 05:29 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
thomasj Offline
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 5,063
Pennsylvania
This time of year makes me feel thankful. I just got back from attending my 2 year old's story hour Christmas party. It was less than a block away, so I could just walk there and for that I am thankful. I am also thankful to be working at a place that allows me the flexibility to attend things like this. I am thankful that I got to see him get his gift from Santa - even though it looked somewhat like a mugging since he did not want to get too close or be near Santa too long. I am thankful that on Christmas day I will be able to take my family on the five minute trip to my parents house where my sisters and nephews and nieces will be. I am thankful for the look of pride on my mother's face when everyone is enjoying the meal she prepared and on my father's face as he enjoys his grandchildren. I am thankful that I have good memories of Christmases with my brother before he passed away. I know this all may sound corny to some, but that is how I feel this time of year.
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#290201 - 12/17/04 05:33 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Kathleen O. Blanchard Offline

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Kathleen O. Blanchard
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 21,293
Quote:

Giddy, happy, blessed, generous, and sad. I love the music, the decorating, the gift giving (hate gift receiving!), the baking and eating, the volunteering, the get togethers/parties, the whole package. I feel blessed to have my Lord, my health, friends and family. I get sad when I think about my parents who died around the holidays so many years ago. I miss them most at this time of year.

But, I get that out of my system like this: I wait til MOML is out of the house. Then I play all the Christmas music that were Ma and Dad's favorites, or the ones that talk about going home for Christmas or together if the fates allow. I have a sobbing good cry, to release it all. Then, I am good to go for the rest of the holidays! Works for me.




I remind myself that my mother would not want us to skip Christmas because she is not with us anymore. She would want her family to get together and celebrate. I still miss her, but we have to go on just as she did when her mother died right before Christmas and my 5th birthday. I still had a cake etc. and she even put blue icing on it at my request! It is how things go in life, even though it is hard.

(And I cry when I am home alone.)
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#290202 - 12/17/04 05:37 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
juliad Offline
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juliad
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 445
Dallas, TX
I love the season and ordinarily feel so much joy during Christmas. This year I have been a little overwhelmed - shopping, baking, cleaning... but I still anticipate the joy of having my family together. Just 2 more days until mom arrives!!

Last year and this year Christmas has been especially nostalgic, since my father passed away. This was a very special time for him; the times I felt closest to him were at Christmas and it is when I miss him most of all. These are sweet memories, though and I'm not sad for my dad, who is now home with God, but sad for the family as we all miss him.

Also my heart is heavy for other friends who are having difficulties right now. Hopefully, next year their joy will be greater than the anxiety they are experiencing. I pray for their family.
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#290203 - 12/17/04 05:41 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
QCL Offline
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QCL
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 6,259
NW IL
This time of year used to stress me out. That is until last year.

The bear, my one and only child that I had tried to have for 3 years, had just had MAJOR surgery (attaching her intestines to her liver) and was released on Christmas Eve last year. For 2 weeks we watched her courage and strength as she recovered in a NICU bed. It brought EVERYTHING into perspective. How could I be stressed about petty things when I had just experienced nothing short of a miracle?

And this year we honestly thought we'd be back in the hospital again (we were hoping that she would have had her liver transplant by now). So we got out the Christmas decorations on November 11 - I had planned to celebrate early. We spent what we could afford on presents, and not a penny more. Then another miracle, our friends and families threw a HUGE benefit in the bear's honor. 640+ people from our communities came out to raise enough money to cover her medical costs. People I had never met came out to help the little 14 month old get her Christmas wish.

So this year we are home for Christmas. The little one is holding her own, and my faith in humanity has been renewed because of her. It's the most wonderful time of the year. My cynicism is gone and my heart is full. I guess when you’re down as low as you can get, and you need the help of God and friends to bring you back, this can happen. I feel like Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

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#290204 - 12/17/04 05:52 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Nanwa Offline
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Nanwa
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,564
Clintonville, WI, USA
It does my heart good and restores my faith in humanity when I see what good people can do, this time of year, and when a crisis arises.

Our bank has 5 offices. We usually adopt a family at each office, to help them have a Christmas they might otherwise not be able to afford. Their situations are diverse; sick kids, fire in home, laid off work etc. This year, we have seven families. We just could not turn anyone down. You should see our lunchroom; it is piled high with gifts and groceries.

Makes me so proud to work with these generous people.
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#290205 - 12/17/04 05:58 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Brandy Osborne Offline
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 660
KY
i do love christmas, i love buying presents that people really want, especally the stuff they don't expect. but i miss my dad, he's been gone 8 years and it doesn't make it any eaiser... my siblings and i have grown up and in some ways moved on so it's always good to see each other but we all seem so distant now. and this year my mom remarried to a man none of us like who we feel is a gold digger, digging at what my dad left my mother and it makes me ill, (plus he makes my skin crawl). it makes me not want to be near my mom and especally him for the holidays. she doesn't see or want to see how we feel (and would kill us if she knew) so it breaks my heart to feel such anger this time of year. anger at my dad for not being here, anger at her cause i feel she's made a HUGE mistake and anger at me for not wanting to be around her... but beyond that i love christmas... in odd way thank you for letting me vent that out.
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#290206 - 12/17/04 07:29 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
renniks Offline
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renniks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,162
New England
Well, I just finished a good cry. One of the loan assistants in my building is a single mother who works two jobs and goes to school at night. She has one small child. Yesterday, someone broke into their apartment and stole the money she had saved for Christmas presents for her daughter! We passed the hat today and some of the staff went out and bought a huge bag of presents for the little girl and we gave the mother some cash. We just gave her the presents and let me tell you...there was a whole lot of cryin' going on!!! It was nice to see how quickly everyone reacted to help make this Christmas nice for her child. This, to me, is really what Christmas is about.

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#290207 - 12/17/04 08:35 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Nanwa Offline
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Nanwa
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,564
Clintonville, WI, USA
I just spent the last hour wrapping gifts for our bank's adopted families. It breaks my heart when a child's Christmas wish list lists stuff like a toothbrush and socks.

Bless you and your co-workers for coming to that single mom's aid.
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#290208 - 12/17/04 08:36 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
Erl of Baltimore Offline
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Erl of Baltimore
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 553
Memorial Stadium
Normally this time of year makes me very nostalgic as I remember my favorite times from Christmas' past. But since the passing of my father(passed 12/19), uncle, and aunt(passed 12/21) in 1998 and my divorce in 2002 this time of year generally makes me more emotional than I usually am. If it wasn't for the unconditional love of three of the most beautiful little girls you ever saw I would probably explode. They are my life and I give thanks to God for them every day. I know God has a plan for me which will happen in His time, not mine. I just want to let all of you know I hope you and your entire families have a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year. God Bless all of you.
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#290209 - 12/17/04 09:03 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
redsfan Offline
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redsfan
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,455
The Pennant Race
Quote:

But, I get that out of my system like this: I wait til MOML is out of the house. Then I play all the Christmas music that were Ma and Dad's favorites, or the ones that talk about going home for Christmas or together if the fates allow. I have a sobbing good cry, to release it all. Then, I am good to go for the rest of the holidays! Works for me.




Nanwa, have you considered waiting for MOML to be home, and then doing the same things? I bet he'd love to share it with you? Who knows, he might even cry with you.
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#290210 - 12/17/04 09:03 PM Re: How Does the Christmas Season Make You Feel?
blvsinangels Offline
Gold Star
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 372
Thankful, excited, sad, nostalgic, stressed. Thankful for my family, my husband and daughter. Thankful for my health, for my daughters recovery from her broken leg. Thankful that I have people that love me and that God has given me so many wonderful people to love back. Excited about seeing my daughters face on Christmas morning, seeing my Dad, and I too just love the 'cheesy' Christmas music everywhere you go, and yes I sing along, outloud and off key, much to my daughers dismay!! Sad because it just breaks my heart that my parents are divorced and there is so much tension when we all get together, although everyone tries to act civil, sad to listen stories of families going without, without food, without shelter, without the support of friends. Nostalgic, remembering my Christmas's with my family, 3 brothers running around in their underoo's, stepping on star war toy pieces, and the whole wonderful mess of wrapping paper everywhere. Stressed, Dad coming and staying with me, Mom waking up alone on Christmas, planning a Christmas eve party with the family, running around like a chicken with my head cut off to get everything done in time......But above everything else, Grateful and humble, I am so very blessed in my life. Am I rich, no, but the bills get paid, I have my family to laugh and cry with. And I Thank God, Thank God, Thank God, everyday not just at Christmas for my many blessings.
Here's wishing you His peace now and throughout the coming years. Merry Christmas.

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