I remember one year, in my early twenties, when the only Christmas gifts I could afford to buy were tiny little angel pins. This was when Black Friday’s and Cyber Monday’s didn’t exist.  Simpler times.  I gave those angel pins to my parents and to my brother and sister, and that was pretty much the extent of the gifts I purchased.  I don’t think I saw the inside of a single shopping mall that year.  I hand-made a couple of other things, but the month of December was otherwise spent enjoying the company of my family and dearest friends, relishing in the love and sense of wellbeing that came from that, and appreciating all the so-called “little things”.  Turns out the little things are not so little, after all.  They filled the proverbial cup then, and they still fill it now. 

That year, my parents arrived from Italy, as they did every year, with suitcases filled with mozzarella and Italian goodies (yup, we’re Italian, and everyone knows Italians do it better!).  We spent our days and evenings talking, laughing and sometimes passionately arguing even, as only Italians know how to do.  We shopped primarily for more groceries, drank good wine, played card games and board games, listened to music, sang along, watched a gazillion movies, ate Panettone and planned our Summer vacation.  My mother, my sister and I eagerly found an excuse to cuddle every day.  I don’t even remember what gifts we exchanged, though I’m sure there were some, but they were secondary to everything else we did and enjoyed.  By New Year’s Eve, the only thing left to do was blast the stereo with Orff’s Carmina Burana at the stroke of midnight, and pop open the Veuve Cliquot.  And that was it.  Just beautiful.

Of course, I’m not saying that Christmas isn’t fun anymore, but the simplicity of those days is such a precious memory. As beautiful Christmas playlists have become commercial calls for all shoppers, we spend sooo much time today online-shopping or perusing all the usual stores in loud and overcrowded shopping malls, getting impatient with one another and, even if temporarily, forgetting all about the meaning of the Holiday spirit. 

Please don’t say I’ve become a Grinch… I don’t mean to be.  I so love Christmas.  But I do miss those calmer days, and I do wish stores would stop commercializing every. single. blessed. thing.  If only we could officially decree the entire month of December “Discount Shopping Month”, so we could be spared all the ads, commercials and spam emails that nag us (or scream at us) to take advantage of spectacular savings NOW!!…  If we are to spend anything in excess it would be nice for that to be time together instead. 

Maybe I’m a dreamer (cue Lennon, please), but I don’t think we need more of the stuff we already have.  We need more of each other.  We need more attention from one another, we need more mutual understanding, compassion, empathy, we need more love.  We need to let each other speak, we need to listen to each other better, we need to lift each other up, encourage one another, support one another, be there for one another more. And yes, we also need more time to cuddle, to stay there, in that place of beauty and peace and reassurance and love, for just a little while longer, so we can savour it, treasure it. 

I could go on.  But I’ll sign off for now, so I can practice what I preach.  I’m going to go downstairs and bake something, and set the table for a sit-down dinner.  I’m going to write a card to a dear friend who recently lost her father, and write it with heart, with love and presence. I’m going to call my 84-year old aunt in Italy and let her keep me on the phone for the usual hour or so, while I cherish the sound of her voice as we reminisce about my mother, and as she tells me how beautiful Rome looks with all the decorations out.  And after we hang up, I’ll take out the angel pins I gave to my parents some 30 years ago, the ones they wore on their sweaters every Christmas until their last one, and pin them both on my Winter jacket, like I did last year and the year before.

Eventually, if the mood strikes, I might even make it to the mall.

Peace and love, dear ones. Stay in the glow, and make time for the things that matter.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays,

~ Roberta xx.