The Christmas Season

I can honestly say I made good on my decision to really try this Christmas season.

I guess I need to start off by saying that I really don't enjoy going home for the holidays. It inevitably means more work. It means dealing with mixed feelings for my parents, taking care of visiting relatives, preparing meals, and convincing Gramps that it would be better if he would simply let people help him in his old age. I means traveling long hours my car and by plane, late nights, and anxiety.

Yet, this year I took it all in stride and kept reminding myself that how I give service during this time is perhaps more important than the fact that I do.

One of the things I tried to do in increase the quality of the time and the activities we did. On Christmas Eve we read from Isaiah 9:6-7 , Luke 2, and, from the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 1. We shared some thoughts about experiences we had and how they shaped our understanding of Christmas, kept it simple, and called it a night.

Sure, I did the normal stuff too like putting up the tree, hanging the stockings with care, putting lights up on the eves, and baking an inordinate amount of food.

Exhibit A: Stockings hung with care

All those things help the house look festive, but the truly important things I wrote down in letters I included in the simple gifts I gave. Its not important what the gifts were - its what they represented. For my younger brother and sister, Steven and Diana, I gave them things that were forward-thinking, that would help them think about the future and measuring-up to the responsibilities that will be theirs. To my parents I gave something that I hoped would help them understand me better since miscommunication is the greatest fault in our family. For my younger brother Trent (Elder Hood), who is serving God and His children in Thailand, I was able to put together a three-way Skype call.

For Gramps, I hosted all the family so that he could be around his children, grandchildren, and new great-grandchild and made a list of things he'd like to do while I'm here in California with him. We went to the greatest park known to man:

Exhibit B: Schabarum Regional Park

to the Los Angeles Temple, viewed the lights,

Exhibit C: Amazing lights

...and toured the new visitors' center:

Exhibit D: I love this!

and, last but certainly not least, I started editing his autobiography.

Now, as things are winding down, I'm reflecting on lessons learned and realizing that the effort everyone made to have quality time, to share sincere thoughts, and simplify the season really payed off.

Funny...Calvin actually understands this lesson too...

What Should You Give?

I've been listening to this Christmas Carol on repeat this past week. I catch myself humming it when I get up in the morning and especially at night when I'm thinking about the Christmas Season.

Its so easy to think about what I'd like to receive or the hassle and money that Christmas costs. This year I'm making an effort to keep it simple and focus on just one gift to one person and giving gifts to family that will help them do the same.

If you don't understand what I mean, this beautiful carol should clear it up:

Spirit of the Season

I've done a lot of thinking about what makes Christmas special. This shouldn't surprise you because, if you know anything about me, its that I think, muse, ponder, daydream, [insert additional synonyms here] a lot.

Last Christmas really highlighted this issue for me. It was the worst Christmas since the time that I lost my wind-up helicopter toy. You know, the kind that you pull the zip cord and it goes flying. Well, it ended up in the neighbors pool. I'm sure that there have been worse ones. A few come to mind, but you can ask me about embarrassing childhood memories some other time.

On a serious note, I returned home for the holidays to Gramps' place. We've lived together for seven years now off and on - between summers, mission, internships, etc. Usually its a great time to sit back and reflect on life. However, that year I was stressing out about a relationship, trying to find gifts last minute for my siblings, and frustrated that more of my old friends weren't around to spend time with.

It only got worse once we showed up at my parents' place on Christmas day and realized that they hadn't prepared Christmas dinner and had nothing planned. It was a little too much for me. Gramps was obliviously basking in the presence of grandchildren. I envied his calm attitude.

I ended up staging a coup of the kitchen and making dinner, planning the time of the phone call to my brother who is on his mission (while the folks sabotaged it by insisting that they were right about the time differential), and getting almost nothing in return.

Let's face it - we all want someone else to take care of Christmas. We want to just sit down, relax, and receive awesome presents. Last Christmas finally broke me of that notion.

Christmas, like most or all things in life, is all about taking ownership. I've struggled with sadness during the holidays, but only when I didn't put any effort into making the season merry. It takes effort to get that holiday spirit. I've decided that "'Tis the season to be jolly" is synonymous with "'Tis the season to be cheesy and cliché" and it is a blast!

I got an advent calendar this year and under each window, instead of chocolate, there is an activity to do. I've been doing those every night. I've got Christmas music playing. I'm home alone most of the time, and it has the potential to be another worst Christmas ever, but only if I let it.

Some people have suggested that its what we give that's more important, but even that has become a vice during Christmastime with trendy toys, must-have fashions, and extravagant decorations.

Where is the Spirit of Christmas we have lost in giving thanks to ourselves for being so giving? Where is the Holiday Cheer we have lost in complexity?

There is only one thing that you can truly give to others and to God. Toys will break. Dinners will not always be perfect. Video games will lose their appeal. Fashion will change. In the words of The Preacher: "All is vanity".

Give your heart.

Give of yourself. Simplify the season. Give gifts that help your loved ones do the same.

Unlike Calvin....