My Christmas Favs/Dear Mom

For me, picking a favourite Christmas song is like trying to pick a favourite chocolate bar.  The fav chocolate bar situation goes something like this:

Hey Sue, what is your favourite chocolate bar?
Um, well, Mr. Big, Crunchie, Crispy Crunch, Mars, Snickers, Twix, oh and I really like M&Ms, Sweet Marie and Mint Aero and Mirage...oh and I ALSO love Junior Mints and Whoppers.   (The list really could continue.)

So, my favourite Christmas songs are "Drummer Boy," (there is a great version of this song originally done by Frank Sinatra and David Bowie and it was recently redone by Matt Dusk and Hawksley Workman -- you should check it out), "I Saw Three Ships ," "It's Cold Outside," "Jingle Bells," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "O Holy Night," and "Silent Night."  But as much as I love all of those, every song from the album Almost a Full Moon by Hawksley Workman is above and beyond them all.  I won't touch on that now though because I will be dedicating an entire post to the album later on.

My favourite Christmas movies are The Grinch, Love Actually, and the Muppet Christmas Movie
(Does everyone appreciate how I am moving seamlessly between APA and MLA formatting?)
(Also, I really think everyone should take some time and listen to the Reality Bites soundtrack this weekend and then tell me your favourite song.)

When I tried to think of my favourite Christmas presents, I had a really hard time.  I love Christmas, and I LOVE presents, so why was it so hard to think of them?  Well, I realized that it is because every single Christmas I have gotten many extremely thoughtful presents.  In short, I have been totally spoiled.  For my entire life my mom made sure, no matter what, that Christmas was a very special time, and now I have a husband who does the same.  So, I will give you a list of some of my favourite presents I have gotten over the years:  R.L. Stine books, Christopher Pike books, pink glittery sweater, Ravensburger puzzles, Little Miss Make-Up, a duvet.  I also have to give a little shout out to my sister here because she often gives me super great childhood throw back gifts (like Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation and numerous L.J. Smith novels).

So, thinking about how much I love Christmas and WHY I love Christmas made me think of two things:

1.  The reason Christmas is such a special time for me is because my mom made sure it would be.  She made is a magical time.  And now even though she is gone (chances are since only my lovelies read this you already know, but just in case I have a mystery reader, my mom died some years ago) I have so many other loved ones with whom to share the holidays.  If it wasn't for my mom I KNOW I wouldn't feel the same way about Christmas, and if it wasn't for YOU I know since her death that Christmas would be ruined.

2.  Maybe this is presumptuous, but I think perhaps those people who do not love Christmas feel like that because there was no one in their lives who could bring them (or teach them) the joy of Christmas.  For these people, I am sorry that a time that brings others so much joy is perhaps at best an irritant and at worst a painful time.  Man am I lucky to have the mom I did.

CHRISTMAS UPDATE:
I have already made, decorated, and eaten one Rice Crispies Christmas house
AND
Christmas music has been blaring in my house and car since November 1st (although only two CDs because I cannot yet find the others)
AND
I pulled out my first Christmas puzzle to work on with big plans to start sorting out the edge pieces tomorrow

Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.

Why does this post have 'Dear Mom' in the title?  I'll tell you why.  I am not one for regrets, but one thing that has really saddened me lately is that I cannot thank my mom for all she did to make Christmas such an amazing time.  I cannot tell her about all the traditions I love that I plan to carry on with my own daughter.  (In case you don't know or couldn't figure it out, my mom is dead.)  Just to clarify, from the end of August until probably December 28th or so (that is four months, which is one third of the year in case you wondered) I feel the Christmas spirit coursing through my body.  What is the Christmas spirit you may ask?  It is a feeling of joy, hope, promise, selflessness, and love.  And I get to feel like this, one of the greatest feelings there is, thanks to my mom.  So, I highly encourage you, in fact I insist, that you take a second (or an hour) and think about the amazing things your mom (or mom like person--even a dad or grandparent will do) does for you and then write her (if you are lucky enough to have this person still in your life) and say thanks -- hence the 'Dear Mom' part.  I know this might be a bit cliche, but honestly, you should do it.  Dead people can't read.  No matter how much you wish they could, they just can't.

Joy to the world, 49 sleeps 'til Christmas.