Remember when? Candy threw the cat at James, missed him and knocked down the Christmas tree? Remember when Grandma fell asleep in the middle of the movie and started snoring and then woke herself up. Remember when Mom made a turkey and the dog got to it before we did?
Christmas time can be full of memories, if you let it. The people, food, celebrations all contribute to what many people remember from years to come. More often than not, if you look over your year, the best times you have had have been at Christmas. However, a few years can go by and we all get a little lazy at times about putting in the effort, valuing those that matter and being intentional about creating memories. If you let it, Christmas will drift past you and you will not even recall what you did, which is a waste of all that festive possibility if you are asking me. Don’t be that person that gets apathetic about Christmas time. Rather, embrace the spirit of Christmas and make some memories with your friends or family. Good times don’t come without a decent dose of effort, so take a moment gather your inner Christmas spirit, and dive in…
- Brainstorm some ideas– get your creative juices flowing. Maybe last year you made snow angels with your baby cousins, maybe the year before that you made home made crackers- think of some new ways to keep Christmas festive and fun. Look online, there are loads of websites which show great Christmas crafty ideas or games. Pick a few and in no time you’ll have more to do than you could have wished. If all else fails you can whip out the board games or have a sing along.
- Make the time– great memories don’t happen when you are sitting at the office starting blank eyed at your computer screen. Close your laptop and take some well earned Christmas leave. This time of year is about spending quality time with those that matter. It can be a chance to wind down, loosen up and prepare yourself for the year to come.
- Get organized. Great memories require organization to happen. You are going to need to delegate, communicate, go to the store and think through all your plans. Make use of a fun new app you have found on your phone and make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing. People like to get involved and help out so don’t be afraid to rope someone else in if you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Record it. This is the day and age for social media and digitising everything. Take pics of the festivities or record a video. Not only is this a great way to share your fun times with a friend but it also provides you with a keep sake that you can look back on years later to remind you of the good times. I always regret not taking enough photos. You can even make it a certain family member’s task- just make sure that they get a chance to feature in some of the shots too or else everyone will think that they were absent.
- Do something to help someone. Maybe you know of an old age home where you can visit for a morning or maybe you have some old things that you would like to give away. There are multiple avenues for sharing the goodwill of Christmas available if you take a look. Doing something to help others all helps people to bond, and it is the best way to create a memory which you will not forget.
Ultimately, Christmas is about putting value on people because God put value on us. He sent his only son to save us, even though we are messed up, rebelious and full of sin. He gave us the greatest gift of all and because of this, we give gifts, our time and celebrate our freedom. Don’t let Christmas pass you by while you sit on the couch and watch elf reruns. Instead, be intentional about creating memories and celebrating those that matter to you. Just try not let the dogs eat the turkey this time!