ARTICLE
And just like that, it’s a wrap for 2023 and me!
by Liz Robbertze© follow her on www.lifewithdizabeth.co.za
Who can believe we’re at the end of the year, well almost! Many of the shops’ shelves are jam-packed with Christmas goodies and all the Christmas markets have commenced. I truly do love the Festive season, and not because of the gifts, I simply adore the vibe! Saying that though, what always puts a smile on face, whilst at the same time I feel sorry for the children, is the day after Christmas – there we have the Back-to-school displays! The kids are only just enjoying their Christmas gifts and each time they step into a mall…there are those shiny school shoes, school bags and stationery reminding them – soon, soon its back to school!
Who can remember receiving Christmas cards in the post?
My letter box these days is home to snails and spiders. I do believe they would
vacate their little town if a huge envelope invaded their community! At least a month before Christmas we would buy the pack of Christmas cards. Even back then they were expensive. I recall buying them on special – and they were flimsy, definitely not quality – and then you would need to stop at the
post office (what is a post office I hear you ask?) Well, it used to be a building where you could purchase stamps, money orders, and post letters. And now in the modern world we live in an envelope in one’s letter box is a rare occasion. Now our laptops ping with a “You’ve got mail” notification.
Whats Apps, emails, etc most definitely being the “order of the day”!
Recently I saw lucky packets!
It’s that box, remember, you get the boy one and the girl one. Bright red with
reindeers and that jovial, rather large man dressed in red. I saw myself as a little girl; I felt the thrill and excitement of when we caught the bus with my mom into town to Greenacres and joined the other boys and girls meeting Father Christmas (Santa).
Do you remember the fairy that would come and collect you and take you to the jovial, rather large man dressed in red. We went on a little train – through Toyland etc. I do wonder to myself…I understand the world and its traditions need to change and adapt as our world changes constantly, but I do feel it’s sad that these days we have a rather weak looking (in my opinion) Father Christmas and a weak display of Toyland …. it is Toyland? There are so few toys and always the chair for Father Christmas; lights, bright intimidating lights and a camera, and that’s it – where has the traditional Christmas wonder gone?
How it changes when you find your forever best friend, your partner for life. As their family celebrates Christmas Eve opening presents at midnight – our family have always celebrated on Christmas morning, waking to finding all the presents Father Christmas delivered after chomping his biscuits and milk.
When our eldest son was younger, I excitedly took my hubby’s size 8 shoes and sprinkled baby powder from the front door (we never had a fireplace!) to the Christmas tree. Ryan woke, yawned, stretched rubbed his eyes and asked, “why is there baby powder all over the floor?” Traditions, how they have changed. These days its incredible how you can download the Santa app and the kids can chat to him!
Every year I hang the kids’ home made, macaroni decorations on the tree
Each year I proudly, and with my heart beyond full of love, place the children’s Christmas decorations they made at school on our tree. A little green hristmas tree painted, with glitter sprinkled on it and a very weak looking reindeer that years ago was made from macaroni. How incredibly special these are to me. And each year I show the boys their decorations to which
they entertain me and probably think to themselves, there mom goes again, same as last year. I truly look very forward to receiving the ones my grandchildren will lovingly and proudly make for Nan and which she will place on the tree together with their dads’.
What a special time it is decorating the tree together
A time when I am filled with memories of past Christmases; of how the boys grew and the fun we experienced each season. The drama and anxieties of the year are pushed to the back of my mind as I cherish this time. I have a friend who always quietly questions what the year ahead has in store for her as she packs their tree away for another year. Before we know it, we’re back
into the new year – the worries and woes that come with another year, the same friend always says, “what is the point in worrying? Whether you spend time and energy worrying about ‘things’, ‘things’ always do have a way of working out for the best.” ‘It’ all does fall into place and happen as it is meant to – I am a terrible worrier. I know through the years, depending on what the
worry is, the effect that worry placed my body under, I notice weeks after. As hard as it is, is truly isn’t worth allowing a ‘worry’ to consume and harm one’s body – as hard as it is at the time, it too shall pass.
Dreaming of a white, snowy Christmas
If I could have one wish each Christmas it would be for us to experience a white, snowy Christmas – each year we commit to having a ‘traditional Christmas feast’ – the roast meats, a wide variety of veg dishes, dumplings and an assortment of gravies together with the apple sauce, and all the
traditional puddings that go with Christmas. And the reality is, every Christmas day as I stand soaking with perspiration, swatting the trillions of flies away, and getting flustered and extremely hotter than hot –besides always wishing I was wading in the pool with the kids – I promise myself
next year I am not standing and doing ‘this’ again. Next year we will have cold meats and salad, or a braai. The year flurries by and as Christmas gains momentum and we chat about our Christmas day – when the family suggests cold meats and salads, or a braai – doesn’t this momma bear completely forget how hot and flustered she got the previous year – and commits to a traditional hot Christmas. Set the table with crackers and the whole shebang – sit down as a family for a true traditional family lunch.
It’s a wrap for the year!
And that, dear reader is a wrap for this year. I wish you all the very best for a wonderful Festive season. I hold thumbs that all school reports are great, and remember if they’re not, its not the end of the world, all will be fine in the end, and if it’s not – it’s not the end.
Merry Christmas – May the new year bring you and your precious loved ones everything you wish for and more. We will ‘chat’ again in 2024. Mwah mwah !
Liz Robbertze © follow me on www.lifewithdizabeth.co.za
