December Magical Moment #14 The Illusive Perfect Christmas
- Thread starter Gingerbug
- Start date
Y'know, when I think back to the "perfect Christmases" that I'm trying to duplicate, it's really got nothing to do with whether or not the bows were straight on the packages, or the wrapping paper matched, or if the turkey was too dry, or any of that.
The Christmases I want to match are the ones when I was a kid, and we were surrounded by friends and family, and the love was so thick you could reach out and touch it. The Christmas Eve parties when our house was bursting at the seams from the amount of people inside singing and laughing and eating and enjoying each others' company are the sweetest memories I own. Just smelling certain scents can bring those happy times flashing back so fast!
Christmas of 06 was a terrible year for us. My husband and I can't have children, we've gone through every fertility treatment and drug out there. I thought I had a stomach virus starting on December 18th of 2006 and it just wouldn't quit. Finally, on Christmas Day, I went to the emergency room, where they did a pregnancy test and discovered I was pregnant, but the ultrasound showed I was miscarrying. I didn't even know I was pregnant, it had been 2 years since our last fertility treatment. They gave me a shot of a high-level pain killer that I turned out to be allergic to. Couple that with gallbladder issues at the same time, and I was miserable until halfway through February. This is by far the worst Christmas I can imagine. As you might guess, my expectations have changed somewhat.
This year we're licensed foster parents, so my expectation is that we'll be able to give that perfect Christmas from my youth to a kid who's known nothing but tragedy. I want to fill them up with the love that only Christ himself can bring, and give them at least one sweet memory that they can carry with them through other hard times they'll be sure to face. I'm sure I'll be stressed a little, and probably will worry about some silly things (including where to get more matching wrapping paper because I just ran out), but overall I think I'm better off for having experienced both extremes of the holiday spectrum.
The Christmases I want to match are the ones when I was a kid, and we were surrounded by friends and family, and the love was so thick you could reach out and touch it. The Christmas Eve parties when our house was bursting at the seams from the amount of people inside singing and laughing and eating and enjoying each others' company are the sweetest memories I own. Just smelling certain scents can bring those happy times flashing back so fast!
Christmas of 06 was a terrible year for us. My husband and I can't have children, we've gone through every fertility treatment and drug out there. I thought I had a stomach virus starting on December 18th of 2006 and it just wouldn't quit. Finally, on Christmas Day, I went to the emergency room, where they did a pregnancy test and discovered I was pregnant, but the ultrasound showed I was miscarrying. I didn't even know I was pregnant, it had been 2 years since our last fertility treatment. They gave me a shot of a high-level pain killer that I turned out to be allergic to. Couple that with gallbladder issues at the same time, and I was miserable until halfway through February. This is by far the worst Christmas I can imagine. As you might guess, my expectations have changed somewhat.
This year we're licensed foster parents, so my expectation is that we'll be able to give that perfect Christmas from my youth to a kid who's known nothing but tragedy. I want to fill them up with the love that only Christ himself can bring, and give them at least one sweet memory that they can carry with them through other hard times they'll be sure to face. I'm sure I'll be stressed a little, and probably will worry about some silly things (including where to get more matching wrapping paper because I just ran out), but overall I think I'm better off for having experienced both extremes of the holiday spectrum.
So sad to read your story and am thinking that Christmas 2008 will hopefully re-create some of your childhood memories. You are amongst friends here and MHH is full of wonderful and magical ideas to help build the perfect Christmas, and any other holiday for that matter. There are so many great things going here throughout the year you'll be able to plan an amazing Christmas.
:grin:
One Christmas I can remember... my son got the stomach flu something horrible so we sat around and watched Christmas movie after Christmas movie--- taking turns nursing a sick kid. We didn't have a fancy meal... we ate in shifts and kept the smells from the kitchen to a minimum.
When I look back, we kept things simple and family oriented. We ate our fancy meal a few day later and enjoyed it. We opened our presents a few days later as well.
When I look back, we kept things simple and family oriented. We ate our fancy meal a few day later and enjoyed it. We opened our presents a few days later as well.