By Renee Rongen
December 21, 2011 at 09:55am
Pulling Christmas Out of My A_ _
I was Just about to plop down on the leather sofa yesterday afternoon when I noticed a curved, thin shiny piece glistening in the sunlight. As I went to remove it, I found wedged in the cushion, sharp side facing up, a medium sized cutlery knife. I realized that my 13 year old daughter or HUSBAND had saved themselves twelve steps and grabbed the utensil to slit envelopes and open Christmas cards. The irony: Two days before in fit of Christmas panic, I had blurted out to my husband, “do you just think I pull Christmas out of my A_ _? “
The irony of it all made me laugh out loud and then remorse set it for my silly outburst. I love Christmas and all of the mystery and goodness that unfolds. How silly I was to use such a phrase to describe what in the Christian world is such a holy and reverent time. Perhaps I like others was caught up in the commercialization of it all. I’d always prided myself on keeping it simple and giving the gift of “presence” instead of “presents”. As I removed the utensil from the sofa and lay out the proper letter opener next to the basket of Christmas cards, I somehow found gratitude. I was grateful for not going to the emergency room and having to explain what could have been, grateful for all of the faces staring up at me from the Christmas card basket and grateful for the less than subtle reminder to slow down, keep it simple, enjoy and to laugh.
The Lesson: Christmas is about the “presence and not the “presents” and sometimes we need a visual to put things in perspective.
