Ok, I know that whenever anyone hears this statement they either think of the glorious Christmas song and the season that goes with it, or the irony that accompanies that song because this time of year really is the craziest time of year and sometimes can be thought of as far from wonderful. For me it can be both. Christmas can be very stressful because first of all there is a lot of stuff to get done in a very short amount of time. (I've come to discover that the only reason it is a short amount of time is because I don't get any of the Christmas stuff done earlier in the year.) And when you go to the store to do your shopping it seems that people don't understand that you have urgent shopping to do and just won't get out of your way. Second, there is always the stress of money; not just how much you're spending, but how much do you spend on each person. If you spend too little your friends and loved ones could think you're blowing them off (fortunately Joe and I don't really have to worry about this because we have amazing friends and family). If you spend too much money the same people could feel bad because their presents aren't as cool as yours (again, no worries cause we have awesome friends and families). Third, after you buy all of the presents that your budget and closet will allow, you have to remember who you bought everything for and wrap it in addition to labeling it correctly. Finally, when all of this is done the presents must be shipped off to their respective homes, to be placed carefully under a Christmas tree only to be torn to shreds days later.
I know, I know, when you look at Christmas only like this it seems like the worst time of year in the world. But hear me out, Christmas is, if not my favorite, at least one of my favorite times of year. All of the struggle for the presents for other people is totally worth it. Even though stores are crazy and there are people everywhere, I've discovered that people really are in a much better, more forgiving mood than the whole rest of the year. Even when Joe and I lived in New York City people were actually friendly and polite. (Two side notes about New York- 1.New Yorkers are actually nice people it's just their lives are too chaotic from living in an environment that is overstimulating that they just can't really focus or show emotion to strangers, and 2. Christmas time is the best time in NYC! see photo above) Also, the shopping that you're doing is more satisfying at this time of year because it's for other people and not yourself. You are forced to think about what others want and it really pays off because if you think hard enough you can get some pretty sweet gifts that people will love and appreciate because they knew you were thinking about them. The craziness of the season is only for a short amount of time and it really pays off in the end because you're with the ones you love. Also, I love Christmas songs and they're all over the radio at this time of year.
Joe and I had a lot of fun shopping this year. We probably bought more presents than we should have this year, but we got really excited about our first Christmas as a married couple and about giving presents to the people we love! I think we got some really great presents for people this year and I can't wait to see everyone's look on their face when they open them.
The last thing I want to say is praise God for the ultimate gift of salvation through His only Son, Jesus, who's birth we celebrate with this holiday! Merry Christmas everyone!
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