Jimbo's Jots

At some point, we all get sucked into the Hallmark Christmas movie marathon. Now there are other channels that have adopted the “way beyond too early” approach to showing Christmas movies starting in late October. One of those movies from Hallmark is Christmas Connection. The plot is a nomad, no family flight attendant is charged to help a minor get home to Chicago to meet up with her dad after a visit with other family for Christmas. As the interactions happen, she reveals she is actually born in Chicago where her parents met. So, the dad of the child, who is a newspaper reporter, takes the challenge of helping her discover her family roots. It’s cheesy! It’s sicky sweet! But it’s Hallmark!

As we are now one week into December and for most of us, we are in full Christmas mode running from event to event, baking or cooking or shopping and wrapping gifts. Some of us feel the frustration and pressure of the Christmas season. It’s too much sometimes. Some of us feel the burden and the sadness of family and friends that have passed from this life who “always made Christmas special”.

At the same time, there are the good connections we have to Christmas. I don’t know what it is for you that has you looking to past Christmases that bring a smile or a moment of grateful reflection. I recently asked my social media friends about what connects them to Christmas. Here are some of their responses:

• sacred Christmas carols, Christmas music
• people seem to be nicer
• lights and carols. The lights are a symbol related to the Spirit of God working. The carols have meaning to connect people to God
• classic shows like Rudolph, It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas
• family traditions
• joy in giving to others
• ornaments – a common theme here is these are connections to vacations, family moves, crafts at kids
• memories

For me, it’s always the family. There are memories of listening to LPs of Christmas music growing up. It’s memories of hanging stocking down the staircase. It’s rearranging the presents under the tree at mom and dad’s house so that our “small” Christmas of almost 20 people with presents wouldn’t feel like it’s taking over the living room. It’s building a fire in the fireplace. Eating a “Bob Calkin breakfast”! Then, turning around to prepare the food for the rest of the day. It’s wrapping a step-ladder as a Christmas present – one year we decorated a step-ladder with Christmas lights and that was the tree. It’s the first Christmas without family members and taking time to remember them.

Each of us connected to Christmas in different ways. Whatever those are for you, embrace them. Pass on the family traditions. Tell or better yet re-tell the stories that connect. Enjoy the Christmas season!

Be blessed in connecting to Christmas! Be a blessing connecting with others at Christmas!