Post by topiarystepmom on Dec 4, 2017 1:05:42 GMT
Originally published on PEACE 2014
Everybody believes in the "Magic of Christmas". This is a story of love, forgiveness, of miracles and Christmas wishes. There are kids, people of all ages really, a few puppies thrown in for good measure and of course, Santa Claus. There are religious themes - after all - the name Christmas means something more than - get your bargains on Black Friday or Midnight Madness. The birth of Christ has deep meaning for many people all over the world
I have to be honest - Christmas has never been a favorite holiday for me - When I was a kid - it sucked. When I got married the first time, I divorced during Xmas. Then we have the classic MOMMY and the kiddies scenario - where once, they left our presents on the porch, where sometimes, we saw them, sometimes we did not. There has been the classic Birthday/Christmas cluster fuck for our GD's 2nd birthday - (Does anyone need a reprint of THAT one?), and the sucky gifts (extension cord, barrettes), the isolation where we didn't see anyone and now, times (like these days) where we have barely celebrated at all.
Someone on another post said "With all the reminders in the media etc of how our "family" picture is suppose to be, it's a hard time for many of us who feel we have suffered a loss. Maybe we aren't crying in our cheerios every morning, but it takes a bit more work over the holidays to stay focused on what is instead of how life is apparently supposed to be."
Another commented on how it is a "reminder of what you don't have, whether it be that big diamond or loved ones around your table, you're bombarded with what your life "should" look like this time of year".
I find it interesting that all this points to a big to do is about this "fairy tale" scenario that everyone thinks we should be immersed in. But WHY?
If you think about it - how many people really have such "fairy tale" lives? Who are these people? Where do they live? Many of them are on our TV - in the programs and the commercials. But these shows and commercials don't ever follow any of it through - We never find out what happens after that diamond is given, that dinner is eaten - do they all live "happily ever after"? Maybe so, but quite possible, maybe not.
Maybe the diamond is from someone who won't really love you - maybe he'll even wind up regularly beating the shit out of you. Maybe the dinner table is filled with so called loved ones who talk about you behind your back. Maybe Uncle Mo is a child molester, maybe Mom is a drunk. We'll never know because we don't know who these people are and what they are doing under that happy holiday veneer. They are, after all, figments of somebody's imagination.
My favorite is the Pandora bracelet commercial. I actually got my husband to finally ask me if I wanted one - just by saying "Aw - look - each charm is for an event in our lives". I actually didn't want one - but the commercial was very effective and almost convinced both my husband and me, that I did!
So are we being scammed here? Can happiness be that easily found? If only we could all just have a Pandora bracelet - They are expensive but would it really be such a high price to pay if it could guarantee to bring us REAL happiness? We all know the answer to this question - don't we? True happiness can't be found in a diamond, or a dinner or a bracelet. True happiness can only be found from within.
Want real happiness?, why not look at what you already have and be grateful. Because there are so many who have so much less in this world.
To be grateful and gracious with what we have been given in life - I believe that THIS is where the TRUE happiness resides. But then, they wouldn't make any commercials about it - because there is really no money to be made with gratitude or with grace; only with greed.
Our "happiness is inevitable - if we can only just let it happen". So says author Sarah Addison. And I really do believe this to be true. I also believe that what we are looking for can never be found in a big diamond, a family dinner or a Pandora bracelet! And that's kind of too bad - isn't it? Because THAT following that path to happiness just seems to be SO much easier!
Everybody believes in the "Magic of Christmas". This is a story of love, forgiveness, of miracles and Christmas wishes. There are kids, people of all ages really, a few puppies thrown in for good measure and of course, Santa Claus. There are religious themes - after all - the name Christmas means something more than - get your bargains on Black Friday or Midnight Madness. The birth of Christ has deep meaning for many people all over the world
I have to be honest - Christmas has never been a favorite holiday for me - When I was a kid - it sucked. When I got married the first time, I divorced during Xmas. Then we have the classic MOMMY and the kiddies scenario - where once, they left our presents on the porch, where sometimes, we saw them, sometimes we did not. There has been the classic Birthday/Christmas cluster fuck for our GD's 2nd birthday - (Does anyone need a reprint of THAT one?), and the sucky gifts (extension cord, barrettes), the isolation where we didn't see anyone and now, times (like these days) where we have barely celebrated at all.
Someone on another post said "With all the reminders in the media etc of how our "family" picture is suppose to be, it's a hard time for many of us who feel we have suffered a loss. Maybe we aren't crying in our cheerios every morning, but it takes a bit more work over the holidays to stay focused on what is instead of how life is apparently supposed to be."
Another commented on how it is a "reminder of what you don't have, whether it be that big diamond or loved ones around your table, you're bombarded with what your life "should" look like this time of year".
I find it interesting that all this points to a big to do is about this "fairy tale" scenario that everyone thinks we should be immersed in. But WHY?
If you think about it - how many people really have such "fairy tale" lives? Who are these people? Where do they live? Many of them are on our TV - in the programs and the commercials. But these shows and commercials don't ever follow any of it through - We never find out what happens after that diamond is given, that dinner is eaten - do they all live "happily ever after"? Maybe so, but quite possible, maybe not.
Maybe the diamond is from someone who won't really love you - maybe he'll even wind up regularly beating the shit out of you. Maybe the dinner table is filled with so called loved ones who talk about you behind your back. Maybe Uncle Mo is a child molester, maybe Mom is a drunk. We'll never know because we don't know who these people are and what they are doing under that happy holiday veneer. They are, after all, figments of somebody's imagination.
My favorite is the Pandora bracelet commercial. I actually got my husband to finally ask me if I wanted one - just by saying "Aw - look - each charm is for an event in our lives". I actually didn't want one - but the commercial was very effective and almost convinced both my husband and me, that I did!
So are we being scammed here? Can happiness be that easily found? If only we could all just have a Pandora bracelet - They are expensive but would it really be such a high price to pay if it could guarantee to bring us REAL happiness? We all know the answer to this question - don't we? True happiness can't be found in a diamond, or a dinner or a bracelet. True happiness can only be found from within.
Want real happiness?, why not look at what you already have and be grateful. Because there are so many who have so much less in this world.
To be grateful and gracious with what we have been given in life - I believe that THIS is where the TRUE happiness resides. But then, they wouldn't make any commercials about it - because there is really no money to be made with gratitude or with grace; only with greed.
Our "happiness is inevitable - if we can only just let it happen". So says author Sarah Addison. And I really do believe this to be true. I also believe that what we are looking for can never be found in a big diamond, a family dinner or a Pandora bracelet! And that's kind of too bad - isn't it? Because THAT following that path to happiness just seems to be SO much easier!