Posted in Christmas, Holidays, kindness

Have Yourself a Merry Little #Christmas

Posted on by D. Parker

Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? Can’t we make the most wonderful time of the year any old time of the year? Does it have to be scheduled? Does it have to be a certain day? Why not wish each other well and treat each other well every single day in each and every single way?

The message is drummed into us in every seasonal day, in every seasonal way, that if you’re not involved in a holiday social barrage then you’ll be unhappy, that you’ll be sad, that you’ll be lonely, you’ll miss out on the perfect Christmas. It’s CFOMO – Christmas Fear of Missing Out.

Catastrophe will strike if your days and nights aren’t stuffed with: family dinners, parties, drinks with friends, hugging, skating in pairs, Secret Santa/gift exchanges, and of course, people running into the arms of loved ones at airports, etc. Shiny, sparkly images of happy people enjoying the holidays together, shimmering like a holiday mirage.

It can be overwhelming, yet it’s one day, sure it’s been stretched into like, months because of the hype, the marketing as we’re viciously bombarded with images of physical and social wealth that are unattainable for many. Blink. Relax. Enjoy it your way.

1. Marathon your way through the season, which apparently now begins in January with brief visits from other holidays before bouncing back to Christmas again. Don’t limit yourself to Christmassy viewing, though if you’re in the mood…

“Get Back” to Let It be and Let it snow and Let it go, yeah yeah yeah, The Beatles won’t let you down as they wanna hold your hand down this long and winding road; spend some time back in time at “Downton Abbey”; go anywhere or anywhen with The Doctor in classic or modern “Doctor Who” (not “Doctor Who Flux”, flux, wait, is that because The Doctor is female now, hmmm, weird…);

don’t be sheepish, pop over to “Shetland”; immerse yourself in the Marvel Universe, or the Star Wars galaxy, or anywhere else you can imagine; revisit some “Friends”; fear the future of “The Handmaid’s Tale”; hope “Vera” only calls you “love” or “pet”, not “sunshine” (Dear Santa and Vera, I can explain…); see what is the deal with “Seinfeld” (It’s Festivus for the rest of us); be glad you’re not invited to a “Game of Thrones” Christmas party (you know nothing, Jon Let It Snow);

put on your Walkman, pull on your neon spandex and fanny packs to take a tour of the Upside Down in “Stranger Things”; watch cooking shows, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay (are you blaming the fish?!?), “Baking It” with Andy Samberg (can Lonely Island all host?), or “Breaking Bad“; or drop by “Yellowstone”; find out “What We Do in the Shadows” or in the “Shadow and Bone”; and/or see who survived on “The Walking Dead“. Or read your way through the snow, ho, ho, ho…

2. Use this as a time to catch up with family, friends, or new friends (just haven’t met you yet) who also are looking to hide away from the holidays, enjoy the holidays in a less commercial way…

3. Be bold, be brave, go on a holiday dating/companionship spree, even if it’s on Zoom. Eggnog your way through stories about his/her ex, mom, ex’s mom, work, football, baseball, hockey, fashion, cars…Who knows, maybe you’ll find a Christmas miracle, or become comfortably numb.

4. Adjust your expectations. Social media is not reality. Say that to yourself every time you go online. This is not life, it’s one long high school reunion. Everyone is wearing their best outfit, just lost weight, and sharing the highlights of their life.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
5. Fill your time, don’t just kill that time. Do something you wanted or needed to do but hadn’t quite gotten around to it yet. Read, write, craft, draw, paint, bake, blog, sing, play games, cook, knit, go to a museum or art gallery, walk, work, declutter (unclutter?), exercise, sleep, stream, meme, clean, dream…It’s all good.

6. Have a Single Christmas Party (not for singles, just you, be your own party). If you can’t enjoy your own company how do you expect others to enjoy it? This year, like last, we have some restrictions, but enjoy your time anyway.

7. It’s never too late (or early) to start a new tradition with yourself or others, hopefully one that doesn’t involve eating your feelings, spending future rent/mortgage payments, insulting others, and/or anything illegal.

8. Help others this season – the best way to keep your mind off your problems is to help others with their problems. It can also give you perspective if you’re in a woe-is-me-kinda-place.

9. Under no circumstances drink too heavily, that could lead to calling, texting, or emailing an ex, or blogging under the influence, or doing something else you may otherwise regret.

10. Look back, look inside, look around, look forward. See past the blinking lights, beyond the cha-ching of the cash register, and maybe read about my year of chronic change https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/08/23/seems-breakin-up-was-easier-in-the-90s/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/09/29/what-if/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/10/29/sweet-screams-are-made-of-this/

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but generally, on all the days of the year, make a life for yourself that isn’t an escape room. A life where you’re not trying to get away, not trying to immerse yourself in the latest holiday…where each and every single day holds some tidings of simple comfort and joys, and some jolly.

This season is simple. It’s days, weeks, months like any other. It’s filled with what you want it to be filled with, well, mostly. Winston Churchill famously said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going”. Churchill means, when you’re struggling, push through, or you’ll get stuck in the struggle. I triple dog dare you, keep going, you never know what’s on the other side, isn’t that exciting?

And have yourself a Merry Little Christmas…and be kind, to yourself and others. Please. Thank you kindly.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ~Charles Dickens

Author:

Very me

66 thoughts on “Have Yourself a Merry Little #Christmas”

      1. Thanks, Donna.

        We recently binged a season of the Holiday Baking Show. I started watching a series about cookies, but it was kinda boring. My husband checks daily to see if a new episode of Vera is available.

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  4. Always a pleasure to see your posts. I’ve never watched THE WALKING DEAD, DOWNTON ABBEY, OR GAME OF THRONES. But that Dixon guy…YUMMY and then some. He’s the kind of guy from my old neighborhood in Chicago. Again. Yum. And you always show pictures of my favorite Doctor. Miss him. Snoopy’s always fun.

    But I LOVE the lights and the ENERGY of Christmas. Not religious in anyway imaginable, but love presents and cookies and LIGHTS, LIGHTS, LIGHTS. Dogs and cats in hats, hot chocolate, no holiday sweaters, we are more like Dixon in a way. LOLOL But sparkles and missing those who are gone and loving all of them.

    You can’t have Christmas everyday. Christmas is a MASS idea. A COLLECTIVE feeling that is for all of us at the same time. Nothing else is like that, other than taxes (gag). It’s like Vegas everywhere. Houses lit up, trees in the snow. If we had that all the time, we wouldn’t even see it. Like everything else we get used to. It would disappear.

    I wish everyone could be happy, but until we stage a mass overthrow of the government and demand equality for all, and get rid of the greedy monsters who decide who gets what…nothing will change. That’s on us.

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    1. lol Mr. Dixon is yummy and his survival skills would come in handy during the apocalypse. 😉
      The lights are lovely, I agree, and I think we all know my feelings about cookies, that is a love affair that will never end. 😉
      The world needs a course correction, people are gotten used to being treated poorly and using holidays and stuff and things to make it somehow seem ok that there’s inequality, lack of affordable housing, that there’s food insecurity, violence, abuse, and so much more. Unless we can get a larger portion of the population to care less about distractions and more about needs versus wants, nothing will change. Sadly.
      Thank you for your lovely words and wishing you comfort and joy the whole year through. 🙂 xoxox

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  8. To be honest, I have never joined the craziness of the season. When I had more time, then I did more to it but still nothing that destroys the magic of the season. We have our traditions which we all love to celebrate and repeat every year, and I love baking cookies, decorating the house, and other things. Since we all know when Christmas “happens” I start early with everything that I don’t have any stress during December AND on Christmas itself. My motto is: keep it simple and enjoy!

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    1. That’s a wonderful motto, Erika. You enjoy the season, not letting it take over your life but be a time that adds to your life. And you said the magic word, “cookies” lol 😉
      All the best to you and yours each and every single day. 🙂 xoxox

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      1. Yes, that magic word 😄 No, I won’t let the season take over in an unhealthy way. I rather enjoy being carried away by its magic. Have a wonderful holidy season too, dear Donna.

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  14. Brilliant as always Donna.. I feel so guilty posting Christmas book fairs at end of November but can ‘t fit them all in otherwise…I hate the fact that some of the stores have decorations in September when we have barely had any summer… and why do they think that everyone on the planet wants a tin of quality street and a frozen turkey.. But it would be lovely to have everyone around the table for a meal of some kind on the day…not happening again this year..Merry Christmas ♥♥

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    1. I’m generally ok with Christmas stuff after November 11th but your book fairs are not only helping authors but helping readers find hidden treasures. That’s less about Christmas and more about community, care, comfort and joy. 🙂 xox
      All the best every single day and hopes that we’ll be together again soon. 🙂 xoxoxox

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  18. Excellent advice, Donna, especially about helping others when you’re feeling down. 👌 And this is so true: “Adjust your expectations. Social media is not reality.”. Hubby and I always binge watch Christmas movies over the holidays. “Love, Actually” is a favourite. 😃 All the best to you and yours! 🎄

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    1. “There was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?” Love Actually never fails to bring a glory of smiles and giggles. A treasure. All the best for the holidays and every single day. 🙂

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    1. That sounds delightful to me and yes, Mr. Dixon does have a certain something, except when he’s eating squirrels, but hey, it’s not a deal-breaker lol 😉
      All the best each and every single day. 🙂

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  20. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blogger Weekly – December 3rd 2021 – #RoundUp Carol Taylor, #Christmas Donna Parker, #Guest The Story Reading Ape, #Children’sbooks Jennie Fitzkee, #Guest Colleen Chesebro with D.L. Finn | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

    1. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Sally for the lovely words and for placing me in such delightful company. What a thrill and an honour to be here. All the best for the holidays and every single day!!! xoxoxoxox

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  21. Ahhhhhh there is not a tree or a bit of Christmas wrapping paper in sight here…only paper with random pics of anything printed on it the size of a postage stamp ..sigh… but who cares we don’t…I have made puddings and cakes in miniature to share with family and neighbours who are also partial to sausage rolls who would have thunk…I’m sure I’ll get bananas, papaya and some beautiful veg back..yeah…I of course will have my Christmas playlist on max so all my neighbours can get a little bit of British joy,..I have taken the bits i love and am sharing them here…Of course, chocolate doesn’t stand a chance it melts as you watch… although a fridge full of chocolate has a certain appeal…grin…Have a merry(hic) and happy every day, Donna…Merry Christmas from sunny Thailand….now if I could find a snow machine…

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