Cookie Cutter Christmas

This Christmas season I have been hearing/reading a lot of comments about how people cannot seem to get into the Christmas spirit this year for whatever reason.  I myself have blogged about feeling that way.  The reasons vary from feeling down to financial stress to health issues to family discord.

After seeing it over and over I can't help but ask myself, so what is this spirit we are all missing?  Is it the memories of Christmases past when our lives were less complicated and things felt more free and innocent?  I am starting to think that no one has lost anything. We just have to define how we relate to Christmas as we grow. 

When I was a kid it was all about Santa Claus.  I would look forward to seeing him every year at the Macy's parade on the Thanksgiving, then from that point on it was Santa songs and spottings.  As I grew I learned more about Christmas and it became about Jesus's birth.  Then I had children and it became about making my children's Christmas the best I can make it. 

So maybe the reason it doesn't feel like Christmas to so many of us this year is because we are grasping at those past feelings trying to recreate a cookie cutter Christmas like what we remember.  Instead, maybe we should focus more on creating a new and more fulfilling experience for where we are in life THIS year.