By Kelly Hockenberry, Columnist, The Times
Lately, my Facebook feed has been crowded with posts of happy families stringing outdoor lights and chopping down Christmas trees. My Grinch-y little heart can’t take it. It’s only December 11th! Can’t everybody just slow their roll a bit?
We’re still digesting Thanksgiving turkey, for crying out loud. I don’t want to be sweeping up pine needles for the next two weeks. I prefer to do our decorating as close to the holiday as possible. I twitch at the thought of rearranging furniture and disrupting the precise aesthetic of my home environment.
Sounds cuckoo, right? I understand.
So, in an attempt to ease my anxiety and embrace a more festive attitude, I have decided that I will take advantage of the chaos by forcing my family to switch up the entire downstairs. You heard me correctly. One tree = home decor transformation event! They are thrilled (insert sarcasm).
However, in exchange for their labor, I have promised to get a tree…TODAY. Impressed? Well, if you were a member of my family, you would be. This is history in the making, folks. Admittedly, I am worried about the precedent that is being set. If things do not pan out, I do not want to feel obligated to do this again next year. Everyone is cautiously optimistic.
The moral of this story is in the reframing of a perceived negative situation into a positive one. If I view decorating for Christmas as an opportunity to freshen things up, as opposed to adding clutter, it’s a lot less stressful. Don’t get me wrong. I love the smell of fresh cut pine and the pretty, white lights that twinkle when it gets dark. And, as my children have gotten older, I really do not do much more than a tree and some stockings.
I don’t know why the thought of Christmas decorating puts me into such a tizzy. Every year it just seems as if the time between holidays gets shorter and shorter. Therefore, making decorating an activity that can be attached to something that feels more productive is energizing! I am thrilled to be able to move our sectional from the basement into the living room and reposition the couch and chairs in our family room. It will be a whole new look for 2017 without having to spend a dime.
See??? I’m not such a Scrooge afterall!
As I type, my husband and son are carrying an armoire up a flight of stairs. They want me to tell you that they beg to differ.
Happy (Christmas decorating) Weekend!
