The jollification process must begin

If you are like me, you love Christmas time. You love the lights and the music, the bustle and the feeling of good will in the air. You like sharing a knowing smile with a stranger as you wish each other Merry Christmas. You like giving gifts, making cookies, drinking eggnog, and seeing your children sing "Away in a Manger" in front of the church.

But if you are like me, you might suddenly find yourself nearing the end of November and you have not done a single thing to get into the Christmas spirit. Suddenly you start getting these waves of panic that December is almost here and, once it comes, Christmas is almost over and you will be so lost in the bustle that you won't have time to linger in the festive feeling, to stretch your feet toward the fire and listen to the sad strains of "I'll be Home for Christmas" and just be....jolly.

I am here to help myself, during these few days leading up to Thanksgiving, start that much needed jollification process.  Reminding myself of all the reasons I love Christmas time, all the things I'm so thankful for and beginning to ponder what little tokens I want to give or the acts I want to do for the people that I love.

Perhaps we are not ready to hang the stockings, decorate the tree and blow up that huge inflatable Santa Clause (yes, I have one of those), but I think we all agree that readiness starts in our hearts and not in our Christmas lights. IF you are like me, you are ready to think of the Savior that came for mankind so many years ago, to think of what he did for us and what HIs coming means for our lives now. We are ready to look at the world around us with a greater kindness and a greater sympathy.

If you are like me, you are ready to get your jolly on.

For the next few days participate with me in a few jollification exercises so when Thanksgiving is over and we get to strap our outlandishly large tree to the top of our station wagon we will be fully in the Christmas spirit.

Thursday: Pre-Christmas purge.
This little piece of packing is a real energizer. One big bag, get it, and fill it. I especially like to sneak into the kids room when they aren't looking and throw the forgotten old toys or the stained clothes into that bag (obviously the super bad ones should go in the trash). Look at your husbands stuff. Maybe you can get away with getting rid of some ugly clothes that he won't miss or a few pairs of his surplus of shoes. A few books, a few clothing items in your own closet; tie it, shove it in the car and drop it off at the thrift store or the Salvation Army.

Friday: Make a list.
Write down a list of all the people you plan on making something scrumptious for. The trash man, the neighbors, your children's teachers, an elderly person at church. Ask your children if they have someone in mind. You might not do the cookie tin thing but maybe you have a person or two in mind that a kind gesture would mean a great deal to.

One day a month or so ago, my daughter was very serious and almost a little teary. She said "mom, I want to bring some food to the man down the street. I think he is poor." Now as a mature adult, I know that the person in question is likely less poor than we are. I know that, though there is only a shop and a trailer over looking a stunning view, the property is probably a secondary property and not his only home. She was so adamant that we needed to bring him something and I listened to her heart instead of telling her what was what. I was able to explain that leftover soup was probably unnecessary but cookies would be appreciated. We had never spoken to this man, after all he lives way down the street and is not always there; maybe he didn't need food or money but perhaps he did need that small gesture of a jar of cookies with a note written in my daughters sweet hand "from your neighbors, Daphne, Mason, Drake and Watson".

 I learned a valuable lesson that day. Maybe the guy didn't eat the cookies because he thought we were weird or maybe he thought it was sweet and wonderful...I don't know. But I'll tell you that my kids thought it was awesome. Such a little thing that I could have easily blown off but I didn't and it made a difference to them.

Saturday: Have a dance.
Turn on a nice slow song like "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" or a real twirler like "Carol of the Bells" and grab your lovelies. Dance around the room in spite of yourself.

Sunday: Watch "Charlie Browns Christmas"

Monday: Use the words "thank you" or "I'm thankful for" 20 times. I'm sure you don't need examples but we all need a little awareness of how infrequently we say those words to the people we are actually the most thankful for.

Tuesday: You will be in the Christmas spirit so stay there! and enjoy each day building up to "THE DAY". The world can always use a little more merry and bright.

 

And if you are like me, you want to bring merriness to your little world, wherever and whoever that might be.