An Imperfect Christmas

You may have heard the phrase, "the good is the enemy of the best."  I think the opposite is also true, at least in relation to Christmas, at least for me.  The best, or perfect, is the enemy of the good.

I went to a funeral today for the mom of a friend of mine.  I find myself wondering how she will have a good Christmas, this year or ever again, for she will probably forever associate the season with losing her mom.

We want Christmas to be perfect in every way, but the sad truth is that for most of us, at least by the time we are adults, this is never going to happen.  Maybe we have loved ones who are no longer alive to celebrate with us, or broken relationships in our family.  Perhaps our troubles are financial, and we are unable to give the gifts we want to give.


For a number of years, I had a strong dislike for Christmas.  It always reminded me of what wasn't right in my life.  There were a few things I still liked about it, like the music and going to church on Christmas Eve, but as a rule, I dreaded the whole thing intensely, and couldn't wait to get past it.  (Some of you may remember the year I posted a "grinch" counter on my blog, reminding me of how many days were left until Christmas was OVER.)

I'm not completely past that.  I'm not sure I ever will be, but I've come a long way.  Having Cooper has helped a lot.  He doesn't have the "baggage" that I have, and to him, Christmas is nothing but pure joy.

I don't want to rob him of it, so I am continuing to try to focus on those things I do like, and I find more to like when I see it through his eyes.  Driving around at night and seeing Christmas lights has never brought me such joy as it does now that I get to witness his excitement.

Oh, I still dislike the materialism and the feeling of obligation to give gifts.  And the expectations of perfection that I can't completely get past still stress me out sometimes.

But in my heart I have realized something: Christmas isn't going to be perfect.  Not this year, not ever.  But it can still be good.  It can still be a time to stop the routines of life and just spend time with loved ones, laughing together and making memories.  It can be a precious time of focusing on the one perfect gift: the gift of God's Son. 

Jesus didn't come because we were perfect.  He came because we weren't; we can never measure up to God's standards, so He sent Jesus to die for those imperfections.  And we don't have to be perfect to receive that gift; we just have to be humble and acknowledge that we're not.

So this Christmas, I'm going to try to get past the need for a perfect Christmas and just focus on having a good Christmas.  And I wish the same to you.