I remember the feeling of Christmas being over. In my early years as a parent, it was a little sad. The whole season was over. There were decorations to put away, toys to sort, and a few leftovers to eat. Other that that it was over. Then my son was born. It took a few years but everything about Christmas became difficult.
We had to get through the school Christmas program. We attended the Church programs even if Isaac didn’t participate. There were special services each Sunday in December. It was hard. Isaac didn’t know what to expect. His anxiety seemed particularly high. There were open houses to attend and we usually took all our children with us. There were parties at school and special projects. As great as it is to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, it caused stress. We needed to go shopping for the items. There were choices to be made: what age boy was it for and what items do we purchase? Do we wrap it or put it in a Operation Christmas Child shoebox? What week do we turn it in? Do we do it for both church and school? I wanted my son to give to someone else at Christmastime. Sometimes I wondered if he “was getting it.” I’m not sure if he ever fully “got it.”
There were less important things that were “special” like eating international foods while studying Christmas around the world. How about working together as a team with classmates to build a gingerbread house. I had a child who did not do “special” well. He had enough difficulty with the day-in-day- out normal routines of life.
If you are like me, there was a great relief when the Christmas season was over and we could get back to normal. Many people you know will never get this but if you feel like I did, know you have a friend who “gets it.”
Merry Christmas and welcome back to the beauty of a boring regular everyday life that January will bring!
