Becoming an Adult At Christmas

I know what you mean. I did that long ago I am afraid - even before I had kids. Christmas was fun, but it was not that big of a deal. I loved it because of all the traditions - but there was not the excitement and the magic it had when I was a kid. When I had kids - it all came back. I started decorating and enjoying the Christmas lights...roasted marshmellows tasted yummier, the smell of cookies and hot chocolate was more enticing...my kids gave me back the excitement. I dread when they get older and become blase' about it. I hope they don't - but I don't expect them to be all ga ga over it forever. But if how I feel right now watching them and laughing at how silly and excited they are over things is being an adult...I'll take it!

and to make the excitement of roasted marshmallows even more WOW!!! make marshmallows with the fellas - it's a real kick to put your own homemade marshmallows into hot cocoa.

Christmas is really the most fun when you've got kiddies to enjoy it with.

I experienced wonderful christmases when I was nine to thirteen years old while my family lived in the Chicago area, in particular due to the family across the street - with four children around my age - that made the most out of the event. Well, so did my elementary school and church. So did the major department store downtown, Marshall Fields. A kind of magic time, having not all that much to do with gifts, though a little bit.

I experienced a different series of wonderful christmases/new year's some decades later with my husband - visiting our families, having friends over to our place, and walks on the beach some of those mornings, visiting other friends, some of them older people, some with children. Some work parties were great too.

At this point, for me, the holidays are no big deal, except for the people connections. Nothing at all to do with presents, and nothing at all to do with
religion.

Each of these points of passage has value..