Having done my fair share of working in retail. With my current job it's not uncommon to make several trips (max I've hit is 5) in the same day to the store to take people shopping. So I'm generally not a fan of going back to the store after work. I ventured out on Saturday to go grocery shopping with my mom after work. While she shopped I walked around, getting a few things I needed for events upcoming, looking at the randomness that is holiday stuff. And then I started to listening to others were saying around me. Some were talking to children, others family and friends and then there was the "take a guess" crowd who were glued to their cell phones.The over arching theme of all of the conversations was this: I have to do this. I have to make this. We need this. We have to be here. We have to see all of these different places. What I found myself wanting to scream was "it all doesn't matter!"
"It all doesn't matter." The business, the competition to out do Martha Stewart and her whole large team of perfectionists, the holding the old traditions. It all really does not matter. Let me clarify for a second: traditions do matter. It's a basic form of telling the story of who we are as family, community, faith communities, countries, etc. It is important to understand where we/you come from. But what is not important is the mass concern for holding onto traditions with such clenched hands, clawing and scratching to obtain some idea of perfection for a holiday. We stress ourselves out that we miss the point of any tradition - bringing people together to share in our past and to make new memories in the present.
So I stand by my scream of "it all doesn't matter." In the end what will you/we remember from the business of the holiday time? Probably nothing. What I hope you remember is a new story and why you/we get together as you/we do to share with each other.
"It all doesn't matter." The business, the competition to out do Martha Stewart and her whole large team of perfectionists, the holding the old traditions. It all really does not matter. Let me clarify for a second: traditions do matter. It's a basic form of telling the story of who we are as family, community, faith communities, countries, etc. It is important to understand where we/you come from. But what is not important is the mass concern for holding onto traditions with such clenched hands, clawing and scratching to obtain some idea of perfection for a holiday. We stress ourselves out that we miss the point of any tradition - bringing people together to share in our past and to make new memories in the present.
So I stand by my scream of "it all doesn't matter." In the end what will you/we remember from the business of the holiday time? Probably nothing. What I hope you remember is a new story and why you/we get together as you/we do to share with each other.
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