Lesson Learned

Okay Universe, I get it.

Life is what you make it.
Energy makes energy.
Cross your t's and dot your i's, your life is rich and full.
Fail to fill in the details and you can't help but notice that nagging feeling that something is missing. Put energy into your efforts and you will reap rewards twofold. Fail to exert energy and you will fail to have energy.

See? I get it.
What's true for life is true for anything, right?
Raising children? Friendships? Relationships? Work?
And ... Christmas?

That's why I couldn't find my Christmas Spirit.
I just didn't put enough effort into it.

Most years, I go all Martha on the family.
I make sure the lights go up Thanksgiving weekend.
I get my family out to our favorite tree farm and watch in awe as my men chop down a tree right before my eyes. And even though he resists every time, I insist Mr. bon take us for hot chocolate on the way home.

Once the tree is up, out come the twelve boxes containing our tree decorations, charming knick-knacks (some new, some even passed down from my grandma) and of course, the special, used only once a year, Christmas linens.

After the house is decorated to the nines, we start wrapping the gifts that were purchased with thought and care and place them just so, under the tree. We don't use just any gift wrap. It's usually brown craft paper festooned with bright ribbons and handmade bows, then adorned with tags handmade by the bon-lets.

If you look closely, you'll notice that everything ties together to fit the charm of our little cottage of a house. The bon's don't mess around with Christmas, people. We do it right. T's crossed, i's dotted.

This year was different.
Although the lights did go up a day or so after Thanksgiving, the tree was purchased at Chubby and Tubby on Aurora. Eegads!
The boxes came out, but only the tree decorations were used. Every other little doo-dad never even left its container and all were hauled back out to the shed. It should have been a clue, no make that a big red flag, that something was up when I told him, "I'm just not that into it," as he patiently made his way back to the shed toting the twelve oversized boxes.

Nobody seemed to notice that the gifts were wrapped differently this year. Nor did they comment on the fact that in some cases we used a "sharpie" for a tag!

In fact, if it weren't for me and my oversharing tendencies, I'm not sure others would have noticed that Christmas was different this year. The bon-lets were cool; they seemed to have a rewarding and warming holiday season in which they both gave generously and received handsomely. In some, probably many, instances, Mr bon was no doubt relieved to simplify things a bit. In my case, all those materialistic details are an indication that the forces are swirling and a certain manifestation of the spirit of the season, and of life.

Looking back, I see that I did put some out some effort. Quite a bit of effort, actually. I did fill in the details, I did charge the air with energy and I did reap rewards twofold ... I just did all that at work.

That, Dear Universe, won't happen again.
From here on out, the lesson becomes one of balance.