The Great Christmas Slow Down - December 27, 2021

For the longest time, I’ve wanted more peace at Christmas. More joy. Less stress. Ha!

Every year I vow to make a change, so the season doesn’t seem so overwhelming and every year I fall a bit short. Yes, I’ve made a few changes. I gave away the big candle centerpiece that took up the entire table. I didn’t put out the Annalee figures. I didn’t spend all day in the kitchen making my mother’s lasagna. Every year I’d lament that I needed to do everything different. "THIS is the year," I’d say. And then that nasty lack of willpower would kick in. If I’m being honest, I dreaded the month of December. My focus was obviously not where it needed to be. And I’m not proud of that.

Perhaps I was stuck in my holiday routine. Has this ever happened to you? You keep on doing the same things every Christmas because that’s what you’ve always done. I couldn’t see a way out. What else do I not do? What tasks do I remove from my list? How do I really make a big change? I wanted to have space to truly embrace Advent. I feel I tried but was really doing a halfway job with that. Just enough to get by and squeeze everything else in. “Squeezing” is not conducive to living the words, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm….” What is the answer to this dilemma?

“The message of the season is not, “Let it snow” or “Let us shop.” The real message is Let Us Worship.” - anonymous

Well, it seems all it took was to remove me from my house and put me in a two-bedroom condo in Florida. We couldn’t bring a tree, the little elves on the ladder, the candles, the wreaths, or the many house decorations. We also didn’t bring big presents. And we didn’t buy any. Why? Two glorious words…”No room.” No room to bring them. No room to take them home. What freedom I felt!

We made do with our stockings, hung with large conch shells, a string of lights and our mini Charlie Brown tree. As we received cards, we lined them up on the mantle. It was beautiful in its simplicity. Finally, all was calm, and all was bright. I could now focus on the true reason for the season.

“He will be our peace.” -Micah 5:5

We had an unrushed Christmas Eve dinner as we were not trying to hurry up and get to 7pm Mass as we usually do at home. We sat in the dark and looked at the multicolored lights hanging above the sliding glass doors that frame the ocean. The screen door was open, and we listened to the waves. We sang carols like “O Holy Night” and "O Little town of Bethlehem" as a single candle burned on the coffee table.

On Christmas morning, we went to the 11am Mass at Our Lady Star of The Sea – one of the most beautiful Christmas masses I’ve ever been to. The altar was decorated with a multitude of green trees in white lights as violin and trumpet sounds filled the air and the choir sang one lovely song after the next.

Later that day as Christmas day was winding down, I realized I was not exhausted. I wasn’t feeling “relieved that IT (being stress) was all over.” What was left were the gifts I had yearned for and hadn’t had in a while– peace, joy, reconciliation, calmness, simplicity, and contemplation. I felt full. And knowing I was filled by these gifts from Jesus, I knew I would be in a much better place to give to others.

I learned a new saying this past year – FOMO, which is “Fear of Missing Out.” I realize I’m a bit late to the party knowing this. That happens to us Baby Boomers. I’m happy to report that instead of having FOMO, I have JOMO this year – Joy of Missing Out. Missing out of the stress, the rushing and the squeezing. But I kept the best part – Joy!

“And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold I bring good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” – Luke 2:10

P.S. Stay tuned - my next post will be about reflections on my time here and the process of going home. Boo hoo!