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I was married and a mother at a very early age. Very. I had Christmas with decorations, tree, and all the trimmings that first year for a baby four months old. And except for a couple of Christmases thereafter, I had the whole pageant every year at my house. Children, Children's spouses, Grandchildren, Grandchildren's friends, every year.
I cooked, I baked, I trimmed - every year. I Christmased the same year as my gall bladder surgery. I Christmased the same year as my open-heart surgery. Ditto, my surgery for colon cancer and the chemo that followed. Every year.
And last year, I decided it was time to hang it up. I announced to my family that I would be spending Christmas at my home without the "party". At 77, it just became too much physically and emotionally. So I brought out my ceramic tree; the one I made in 1973. I hung wreaths on the front door and the back door. I turned on the porch lights. I gave my grandchildren gifts. I baked cookies for the adults. And I plan on doing the same this year. I'm thinking the absence of stress on my part may have contributed a couple more years to my life.
Strangely, for as much as everyone complained that they were used to getting together for Christmas Day, none of them offered to take up the torch.
I was married and a mother at a very early age. Very. I had Christmas with decorations, tree, and all the trimmings that first year for a baby four months old. And except for a couple of Christmases thereafter, I had the whole pageant every year at my house. Children, Children's spouses, Grandchildren, Grandchildren's friends, every year.
I cooked, I baked, I trimmed - every year. I Christmased the same year as my gall bladder surgery. I Christmased the same year as my open-heart surgery. Ditto, my surgery for colon cancer and the chemo that followed. Every year.
And last year, I decided it was time to hang it up. I announced to my family that I would be spending Christmas at my home without the "party". At 77, it just became too much physically and emotionally. So I brought out my ceramic tree; the one I made in 1973. I hung wreaths on the front door and the back door. I turned on the porch lights. I gave my grandchildren gifts. I baked cookies for the adults. And I plan on doing the same this year. I'm thinking the absence of stress on my part may have contributed a couple more years to my life.
Strangely, for as much as everyone complained that they were used to getting together for Christmas Day, none of them offered to take up the torch.
We all get to this point in our lives....I just turned 63 two weeks ago and I think I have a few more years of decorating in me.
But I can't see doing this for more than another 7 or 8 years.
We all get to this point in our lives....I just turned 63 two weeks ago and I think I have a few more years of decorating in me.
But I can't see doing this for more than another 7 or 8 years.
Yup! Holidays are supposed to be fun, and that goes double for holiday decorating. The moment it stops being fun is the moment you stop. There's a lot of pleasure to be had from having a simpler, and less busy holiday, too.
Even though our families are not near I still decorate the house a little for different seasons
and holidays, just for myself....general stuff for spring, fall, summer, also Easter, Halloween,
Thanksgiving, Christmas...even if we will be away. The only big change is I gave my brother
our big tree and got a table top one...I don't know when I will want to stop doing this altogether.
We passed Go (e.g. no kids) and were empty nesters from the moment we tied the knot.
I'm down-sizing, so everything went to Goodwill except for 1 Christmas tree decoration from the 1950's
I'm chuckling as I read your post - I have several Christmas decorations that mean a lot to me, and I want to enjoy them as long as they (and I!) last. Sooooo, they never get put in the attic. Ever. They are on display all year long and some days, when nothing seems to be going the way I want it to, I look at them and remember who gave them to me, and the reason, and the day doesn't seem so bad after all. I hope that makes sense.
I'm chuckling as I read your post - I have several Christmas decorations that mean a lot to me, and I want to enjoy them as long as they (and I!) last. Sooooo, they never get put in the attic. Ever. They are on display all year long and some days, when nothing seems to be going the way I want it to, I look at them and remember who gave them to me, and the reason, and the day doesn't seem so bad after all. I hope that makes sense.
Every year I leave 1 Christmas thing out for the entire year. Magic~~~
I did it when my kids were young. Don't do it any more. I have a small house. Putting decorations up may be fun, but taking them down is not. My pet peeve is people who leave their Christmas decorations up after New Year's Day.
Why? Christmas does not begin until Advent. (NOT "black Friday") and it does not end until Epiphany.
I take down our decorations the day after the Feast of the Epiphany. (Jan.6th or 7th, depending upon your beliefs)
If decorations are up in February, that's different.
Many people leave tiny white lights up all winter. I decorate tastefully for all seasons. The presence of children have nothing to do with it. We enjoy them ourselves.
I do still decorate for the holidays, but not as much as when the kids were little. Now that they're gone I don't have the same energy to do it that I once did. And I've always wished my spouse was into it and would help me - but he never has liked decorating. I always had to do it all including the outdoor lights. I do love to see tastefully done Christmas and Autumn decor - it's all lovely to me.
Although I never had my own biological kids I have a lot of shorties in my life. Every year I have a big Halloween party for them and I've already started decorating. It takes a good month to get it up. I have a small New Years Eve get together but it only takes a couple of hours to decorate for that.
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