Two Sides ....

There are TWO SIDES to every story and some even have THREE. There's the side that we "know" about, the side we don't know about and the third side, the real truth that only God knows. I've learned a lot in the past year, losing a child will do that do you - you learn to have more compassion, to look at all the possibilities and hopefully not pass judgement - and again, none of us, including me, are perfect so passing judgement still happens.

I've been reading a lot of posts on Facebook about Christmas decorating. Now mind you, I didn't hear anyone complaining that the stores had Halloween stuff set up as soon as school started in September or that individuals were purchasing and showing off their Halloween costumes BUT apparently Christmas is a whole different story. And one that every body has an opinion about. So .... this is going to be my opinion.

First of all, NO I don't have any Christmas decorations up YET *smiles*! But I will be honest and say that I was looking forward to November 1st, so I could listen to Christmas music and start thinking about decorating. You see, Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays and it's not just about "that one day", it's the journey to Christmas - the story of Christmas and Jesus is one of my favorites and personally, one that we read and study over and over again in our homeschool classes and activities. Christmas was also Mike's favorite holiday ... when the candy canes could be found in the stores, I would get a phone call "Mom, guess what I bought today??" And yes, I already knew. It was a contest to see who could find them first. Last year, Christmas was very much looked forward to, but also very difficult to get in a "decorating spirit" so this year, I am really looking forward to it - to remembering the memories and making new ones too.

For all of you who openly give your opinion about why we should wait until after Thanksgiving, here's something to think about .... Maybe last year, Christmas was a harder, more difficult, even sad time but this year, like me, that individual is excited about Christmas. Maybe they have a child, spouse, father, mother, etc that is in the service and leaving before Christmas so they want the opportunity to celebrate it now. Maybe they have a loved one who doesn't have long to live and again want the opportunity for that "one last Christmas" with their loved one. Maybe the breadwinner in their family has to travel out of state or further away and they want the opportunity to celebrate now because they may not get the chance when Christmas is here. Maybe they have long distance family or family members that they do not see very often coming to their house for Thanksgiving and want the opportunity to celebrate the Christmas Season also. Maybe they are involved in a Christmas housewalk or Christmas craft show. Or quite obviously, maybe it's a colder climate and they want the opportunity to decorate (this is especially true for outside decorating) before the temperatures fall below freezing.

I guess what I am trying to point out is that there are many, many reasons why individuals choose to decorate their houses before Thanksgiving. It doesn't mean that they are not thankful or choose not to celebrate and remember Thanksgiving, it's just a personal preference.

Country FarmHouse Blessings,