Comments on: Have Yourself an Ambivalent(?) Little Christmas http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/ Rewriting Life...One Day at a Time Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:46:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Rachel http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-907 Rachel Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:17:50 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-907 I think that the commercialization of America has led all of us to expect everything to ALWAYS be picture perfect. We stress that the house doesn't look good enough, that the food isn't fancy enough, the presents are special enough. And our culture only increases the pressure. So we are striving to expectations we can't possibly meet. We have made a big effort in the last few years to turn down our holiday craziness. Gather around those we really love, spend more time together, spend less money on gifts. It has been wonderful and very liberating! I think that the commercialization of America has led all of us to expect everything to ALWAYS be picture perfect. We stress that the house doesn’t look good enough, that the food isn’t fancy enough, the presents are special enough. And our culture only increases the pressure. So we are striving to expectations we can’t possibly meet.

We have made a big effort in the last few years to turn down our holiday craziness. Gather around those we really love, spend more time together, spend less money on gifts. It has been wonderful and very liberating!

]]> By: ABF http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-848 ABF Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:14:10 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-848 I think if it wasn't for the muddling, the holidays wouldn't be as nostalgic as they are. Meaning that, sometimes the holidays bring back mixed emotions and memories that we would rather forget and do throughout the year. But it also allows us to remember the wonderful moments in life that we WOULD forget over time. It helps keep the love that we have or these people fresh in our hearts all year round. I think if it wasn’t for the muddling, the holidays wouldn’t be as nostalgic as they are. Meaning that, sometimes the holidays bring back mixed emotions and memories that we would rather forget and do throughout the year. But it also allows us to remember the wonderful moments in life that we WOULD forget over time. It helps keep the love that we have or these people fresh in our hearts all year round.

]]> By: maikael http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-835 maikael Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:34:27 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-835 Anne, very nice post today. You bring up a great point that the holidays are not such a great time for everyone. I've had a mixture good and tough ones, which continually adds to my ambivalence. Anne, very nice post today. You bring up a great point that the holidays are not such a great time for everyone. I’ve had a mixture good and tough ones, which continually adds to my ambivalence.

]]> By: Heidi http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-834 Heidi Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:34:55 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-834 I brace for muddling every year. From Halloween to the New Year I'm a walk in closet of emotions and memories, that, like old Christmas sweaters, come out to be aired. Man I wish I could get my bangs to do that! I brace for muddling every year. From Halloween to the New Year I’m a walk in closet of emotions and memories, that, like old Christmas sweaters, come out to be aired.

Man I wish I could get my bangs to do that!

]]> By: Gale http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-833 Gale Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:35:32 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-833 No, "muddling through" doesn't really lend itself to scripty artistic font on the front of a greeting card. (Although, wouldn't that be funny?) Thankfully I don't yet have enough baggage that the holidays require muddling through. But this is my first year of juggling a job, a child, and the holidays and it's markedly more difficult than I would have imagined. Striving for that "Life in Pencil" balance more than ever these days! No, “muddling through” doesn’t really lend itself to scripty artistic font on the front of a greeting card. (Although, wouldn’t that be funny?) Thankfully I don’t yet have enough baggage that the holidays require muddling through. But this is my first year of juggling a job, a child, and the holidays and it’s markedly more difficult than I would have imagined. Striving for that “Life in Pencil” balance more than ever these days!

]]> By: elizabeth http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-832 elizabeth Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:25:12 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-832 Since my mom died, every year has some degree of muddling. (Christmas came four weeks after my mom died, so that one was a particularly muddle-heavy year. I remember how bizarre and incongruous it was to be shopping for an outfit for her memorial service while Christmas music blared from every store -- I grabbed the first thing I saw that fit and got out of the mall as quickly as humanly possible.) Some years bring more muddling than other, and it gets better, but it's hard for me to read the incessant parade of Facebook status updates that boldly proclaim, "I LOVE the holidays!!!!!" I love them, too, but then I also hate them. Thanks for addressing the complexity of the season. I definitely prefer the old lyrics, too. Since my mom died, every year has some degree of muddling. (Christmas came four weeks after my mom died, so that one was a particularly muddle-heavy year. I remember how bizarre and incongruous it was to be shopping for an outfit for her memorial service while Christmas music blared from every store — I grabbed the first thing I saw that fit and got out of the mall as quickly as humanly possible.) Some years bring more muddling than other, and it gets better, but it’s hard for me to read the incessant parade of Facebook status updates that boldly proclaim, “I LOVE the holidays!!!!!” I love them, too, but then I also hate them. Thanks for addressing the complexity of the season. I definitely prefer the old lyrics, too.

]]> By: Nicki http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-831 Nicki Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:22:10 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-831 Muddling through is what a good majority of the people around us do during the holidays. I often wonder if it is not the norm, even though hidden. I wrote, many years ago, a poem about it that can be found in this blog entry - http://nickisnook.net/2009/11/10/the-holidays-approach-2/ Muddling through is what a good majority of the people around us do during the holidays. I often wonder if it is not the norm, even though hidden. I wrote, many years ago, a poem about it that can be found in this blog entry – http://nickisnook.net/2009/11/10/the-holidays-approach-2/

]]> By: Elizabeth Pallardy http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-830 Elizabeth Pallardy Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:19:26 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-830 Anne this is one of my favorite movies too. Nothing like watching it around Christmas and wishing I could dress up and go dancing at a Christmas party. It also makes me miss home! Great post, I love reading all of them. Anne this is one of my favorite movies too. Nothing like watching it around Christmas and wishing I could dress up and go dancing at a Christmas party. It also makes me miss home! Great post, I love reading all of them.

]]> By: jennifer http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/2009/12/07/have-yourself-an-ambivalent-little-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-829 jennifer Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:57:05 +0000 http://www.lifeinpencil.com/wp/?p=1468#comment-829 Thank you for your musical archeology work! I had no idea these were the original lyrics, which of course are much better than the whitewashed version. Yes, I've definitely muddled through the holidays, many times. Our house has been HQ for my husband's family forever - his brother and sister are unmarried and "therefore" do not host. Christmas often boils down to a series of really huge extra projects and responsibilities, leaving everyone overwrought and wrung out. The worst was the time my very eccentric (in a bad way) uncle called to invite himself up from Florida for Christmas. He was demanding, ungrateful, and uncouth. To say that his presence challenged my Christian values is a gross understatement. But we did indeed muddle though, and now he's dead (of natural causes), and I'm glad I didn't turn him away that time. Thank you for your musical archeology work! I had no idea these were the original lyrics, which of course are much better than the whitewashed version.

Yes, I’ve definitely muddled through the holidays, many times. Our house has been HQ for my husband’s family forever – his brother and sister are unmarried and “therefore” do not host. Christmas often boils down to a series of really huge extra projects and responsibilities, leaving everyone overwrought and wrung out. The worst was the time my very eccentric (in a bad way) uncle called to invite himself up from Florida for Christmas. He was demanding, ungrateful, and uncouth. To say that his presence challenged my Christian values is a gross understatement. But we did indeed muddle though, and now he’s dead (of natural causes), and I’m glad I didn’t turn him away that time.

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