Cinderella’s Fantasy Christmas

The month of December can be some peoples saddest time of year. On every television channel one is reminded of what Christmas is suppose to look like. The model Christmas is what every child wants to have mirrored in their home but that is not the case for a lot of household’s in America. Especially, this year is one of the hardest financially for families in a long time. Lost jobs, lost homes, lost families, lost hopes and lost dreams is something that most Americans are recognizing this year. Sure we have had some great things to happen to restore hope but not enough that there aren’t some real sad realities still lurking behind a lot of household doors.

The television sets of America are airing shows that remind us of families gathering in homes of their childhood days, people exchanging gifts, people sharing holiday feasts, and everyone enjoying each other through the opening of presents, singing of carols, and all of the other festivities that are customary from generations past. I’m hearing from families that are still losing jobs, trying to figure out how to pay the rent, light bill, buy groceries for every day of the week (not just a holiday feast), make the car payment, get enough gas to make it until next payday, trying to figure out what else to cut out to live off one paycheck instead of two not to mention taking care of their health in order not to have to take a day off work(God forbid)!

Now if you never knew these holiday celebrations firsthand in America you’re probably faring ok, because you won’t relate to the child that feels like the step-daughter Cinderella who is just waiting for someone to come along and rescue them for a fantasy Christmas. I was a child that never experienced the Christmas spirit as a child because my mother had to pay all the excessive bills of winter and she was deprived of the festivities as well because of poverty. I think we pass on what we experience as children.

Sometimes people try to create customs with their children that they didn’t get to experience. Do they do this in hopes that they can capture a feeling that they never experienced? Can one really pass on a feeling that they never identified with as a youth? Can you get water from a dry well?

Maybe the spirit of Christmas for someone that didn’t experience it as a child, lays in the service of giving at Christmas to the less fortunate. Since the reason for the season is giving, then maybe for some the feeling of Christmas comes through gratefulness. Maybe when one can reflect on how grateful they are regardless to how things appear, then the spirit of Christmas is captured. Just maybe Christmas is not the same experience for everyone. Sometimes one may have to create their own authentic spirit of Christmas. Giving of oneself at a time of year when others have lost all hope can create a feeling possibly that will surpass every expectation of a Cinderella Fantasy Christmas.

Maybe this year would be a good time to reach out to someone less fortunate and create a feeling of good cheer. Feel free to create your own kind of Christmas outside of traditions and TV Fantasy. After all, the reason for the season is; giving! The giving of yourself, your time and your unconditional love is irreplaceable. Have a Happy Holiday creating your own realities!!