I Refuse ...

to buy christmas items in october!

what is going through the minds of retail store owners when they start decorating for christmas at the beginning of october?! we just welcomed in the fall season by sending the kids off to school! i went out this weekend to enjoy the fall weather. visions of halloween and thanksgiving were dancing through my head. to my horror i was greeted at wally world not by the great pumpkin, but by a huge santa claus strategically positioned near the door!

with great trepidation i entered the store and was bombarded with the array of holiday items arranged in no particular order on the shelves. halloween candy & costumes amidst back to school clearance items and last year's christmas ornaments. paper thanksgiving turkeys hung from the ceiling next to sparkling silver tinsel. summer clothes intertwined with winter coats.

putting christmas items up at this time of year is wrong on soooo many levels. its like eating pumpkin pie during the summer; or for those of us on the East Coast, it would be like visiting the beach in the dead of winter. why can't we just enjoy the seasons in order and appreciate each holiday as it arrives?

I want to savor the warmth and nostalgia of autumn. linger in the harvest season until the leaves disappear and the first frost arrives. count my blessings throughout the month november and celebrate thanksgiving with my family on the 24th. when december rolls around, i want to ease gently into the holiday spirit instead of being bombarded from all directions with cheesy plastic santas and fake christmas trees. is this too much to ask?

i make one request to all those retail stores out there gearing up for the holidays. SLOW DOWN! let us enjoy life as it arrives - don't hurtle us into the future just so you can have a good retail season!

to the rest of us, the consumers, who dread the upcoming holidays. take time to "smell the seasons." enjoy each season and it's uniqueness. make it your goal to slow down and simplify. allow yourself to remember the magic of the holidays of your youth.

the rich reds, oranges and golds of autumn. the brisk air of november. the crackle of a fire in the fireplace. the smell of thanksgiving turkey. the pleasure of family & friends gathering in a spirit of thankfulness. the air of excitement as christmas draws near. putting up the advent calender and all the christmas trimmings. picking out a tree and decorating it with treasured ornaments. and finally, celebrating the birth of christ on that magical chrismas day. the first snow fall of the season. sledding. football games. hot cider and the smell of cinnamon. freshly baked cookies and breads. bundling up to play outdoors.

i have so many childhood memories. how about you? what memories make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy? why don't you join me and make these memories a reality this year.

~ciao