Christmas is over.

Christmas is over. And yet, i still don't find the relief I wish would come.

Christmas is at once both the greatest holiday and the worst rolled into one. The absolute joy of children and the spending time together of families in the celebration of Christ's birth, along with stress disappointment and crowds.I used to like Christmas, and in fact, I still try to. It has become harder and harder for me to truly enjoy this time of year.

Music:
As a self proclaimed music lover, the music of the season drives me nuts.... Maybe it comes from my years of working retail and listening to the same 12 songs over and over again. I know there are artists that have made wonderful original holiday related songs,(I was sent a great one by the Sick Puppies on their email list this year) but they get 0 airplay. It is all the same Jingle Bells, Oh Holy Night, Rudolph the Congested Reindeer, over and over and over again. Growing up the radio station 97RockI listened to played a selection of rock Christmas songs, many of them originals. I don't know why no one else has the balls to play something out of the ordinary.

Gifting
"'Tis better to give than receive." I have heard this quote thousands of times since i was a child and for the most part it rings true. I do enjoy picking out a thoughtful gift for someone that they will truly enjoy, or even better, NEED. I hate how we are pressured to exchange gifts. I went out of my way this year so that someone I bought gifts for would not have the time to feel obligated to give me a gift in return. My gift is a token of friendship and thanks, and I need/want nothing but continued friendship in return. Friendship means more than the paltry amount I can spend on a gift. (Even if they did think it was too much when opened). On a slightly selfish note, I have rarely gotten anything I actually wanted as a gift. I'm easy to please, give me an iTunes or Home Depot gift card. (On a slight tangent: this goes the same for Thank You cards (birthday, wedding, etc. in my book. If you want a card from me because you give me something, save your money and just buy your own damn card. If you want to make sure I like the gift you should have taken the time to get something I really wanted.)

Family Drama
Forced family gatherings can be wonderful, or they can be a disaster. Some people take what should be a great time of sharing and enjoying each other's company as a time to 'air the dirty laundry' so to speak. If you have a problem with a family member deal with it privately, don't include it in your pre-desert toast. My family life is complicated, partially due to my own indiscretions, partially to my family's. I have 1 phone call I make every year, and for the second year in a row it went un-answered/unreturned. I tried not to show it, but that ruined the rest of my day with the family I had around. It gets really hard to have a relationshp when only 1 person make any effort.

I had many other thoughts about this, but I guess I can leave that for next year's post-holiday rant. I hope everyone has a great new year.