" Just Not Feeling It. "

The following photos of artwork and windows were all taken at my church home, Faith Lutheran Church.

 I've been doing quite a bit of thinking about Christmas lately and it is not by choice. Quite frankly I am sick of it already. It's been shoved down my throat since before Halloween and I have just had enough.

Am I the only one who remembers a day when Holidays came one at a time? I want to know what happened to Thanksgiving Day. Since I was a very young girl, Thanksgiving Day was one of my favorite holidays. We used to hang pictures of turkeys and pilgrims in our front room windows.

Many of the stores carried all sorts of related table wear for Thanksgiving Day. I still have my grandmothers little Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers along with a turkey set and a turkey candle.

Going to grandma's little apartment for Thanksgiving Day was always "The" big day in our family. Her kitchen wasn't very big and she didn't have a dining room. We, cousins, aunts and uncles would joyfully SQUEEZE in together around my grandmothers kitchen table decorated so beautifully for the holiday.

 

Grandma would cook the entire dinner for all of us, always wearing her apron. And all the while smiling and humming while cooking. She was always so happy to do this even though it would be so hot in there!! Grandma always had a relish tray, a tradition that my mother and then myself, would carry on.

All of the stores would be closed on that day. If you happened to forget cranberries or needed extra gravy, you had to call a relative that hadn't yet arrived, hoping that they may have some or you would just do without!

I'm sure that my cousins and I may have shared some dreams of what we had wished to receive for Christmas, but if we did, I don't remember. All I remember was enjoying our turkey, ham and all of the Thanksgiving Day fixings. My favorite was always the hot turkey with gravy sandwiches that we would all fix ourselves later in the evening. How we made room for more food is still a mystery to me!

How Thankful we all would feel to be together sharing the delicious meal grandma had prepared just for us!

And somehow Thanksgiving Day stayed with us for days afterward. We didn't think of putting up Christmas decorations until after the first of December and even then we wondered if we were doing it a bit too soon.

Today of coarse, the decorations in the stores start coming out in October. I've actually seen some before Halloween. Am I the only one that thinks this is ridiculous? My neighbors were outside taking there Halloween decorations down the week after Halloween and putting up Christmas lights!

I am ashamed of our society today. It seems as though everything has to be bigger, faster, better and sooner. I sometimes find myself feeling guilty because I can't buy my loved ones a big screen television, I pad, Kindle, I phone or even a shiny brand new car.

That is when I find myself getting angry. Is this what Christmas is all about? Lights, glitter, and spending tons of cash?

I do know better of coarse. The Advent season is my favorite season in the church year. I can't even put into words the warmth that I feel in my heart after going to Advent services. I won't even try. If you don't know that feeling, I really can't explain it to you.

It wasn't that long ago that I enjoyed Christmas music, decorating my home and tree. Right now I'm just not feeling it. I suppose it could be a bit of grief from my mother passing in December 2009. The last day that we saw her was that Thanksgiving Day.

But I really think that a great deal of my disappointment is directed at retailers and advertisers.

They don't give us time. They don't give us the time that we need to slip into the holiday. They don't give us time for the spirit of the season to envelop us like a beloved, warm blanket.

They don't even let us feel the spirit anymore. All that matters is the end of quarter sales. And that my friends is the bottom line.

My favorite window that sits high above the alter.

I am angry. I am angry because the fun part of Christmas has been robbed from me. I am angry that Thanksgiving is all but swept under the rug anymore. 

I am not decorating my house for Christmas yet. I may not decorate at all this year. It all depends on when and if I feel the spirit envelop me. I am hoping that it will. But I'll be darned if I am going to let the corporate mongers dictate when and if it happens.

I've had enough.

 

We are having a small Thanksgiving dinner this year. Just myself, my husband, daughter and her best friend. And that is fine. I intend on not only enjoying the food that we are blessed to have but I am going to enjoy the day itself. With the people that I love. No expectations, no gifts. Just sharing our love for each other and of coarse some sweet memories of my mom.

To all of my Blogger friends that celebrate this holiday,

may you have a

Blessed Thanksgiving Day.