Christmas Spirit

Its getting very close to Christmas. I used to love Christmas so much. Especially when my boys were little. I loved going and picking out things I thought would put a smile on their faces. I loved picking out the perfect gifts for my small cousins and parents. My husband and I used to get real Christmas trees so our home smelled of pine and Christmas. Once our boys started getting older and decided they just wanted money, my Christmas spirit sort of took a nose dive. The whole idea of Christmas just kind of made me mad. I had lost my grandmother, my father-in-law and my own father. It all just seemed so tedious after that. I dont know what happened last year but I felt that spark again. It was small but it was there. So we bought a little tree, put it on our coffee table, actually decorated it, and I began to sing Christmas songs again. My husband stoked the tiny flame of my spirit and this year it feels more like Christmas. I think getting snow early in December helped, but I digress. Have you ever felt that way about Christmas? Has your Christmas spirit ever fizzled out on you? If it has, don't feel bad! You are not alone. Maybe you just need some time, like I did, to not be cheerful. Maybe you need something or someone to stoke that ember back to life. I don't know your story or what has been detrimental to your holiday spirit, but it is perfectly acceptable to be down or out about the whole holiday. Maybe just focus on you for a bit. Sometimes we get so caught up in the whole thing we forget to love ourselves, especially if we feel the pressure to feel jolly and light. It is perfectly fine to be the grinch every now and then. Just don't forget to take the time and show yourself some love.