A Lighter View
Too much togetherness
By K.E.H. Stagg

Dec. 3, 2009

One of the wonderful aspects about the holiday season is the drawing together of families as they share traditions and make memories for the future. Like decorating the Christmas tree with strings of popcorn and dried cranberries, or letting the kiddies make a special ornament each year.

One of the awful aspects of the holiday season is families glomming together for lengthy periods of time, getting on each other’s nerves as they rehash the past and fight over whose memory is correct. Like crazy Uncle Louie who tells the same lame joke over and over (and over) as if everyone hasn’t heard it a thousand times already when it wasn’t that funny to begin with. Or, did Grammy make the pillowcase dolls the year of the big snowstorm because she couldn’t get out to the store, or was it during the Depression when Grampy lost his job? International wars have been fought over lesser details, which assume monumental significance in family lore.

If only there were some way to pit these warring aspects against each other without incurring casualties, it would probably result in a season much more festive than it usually is. Family members might manage to extend goodwill to one another and actually see peace on earth...at least as long as the turkey lasts!

Maybe peace on earth would be better served by families making brief forays into hostile territory rather than attempting to last the entire duration from Thanksgiving to the New Year in one another’s company. Perhaps goodwill to mankind would be more likely if holidays weren’t accompanied by mad shrieks of, “Put the dog out now!” or “Where is Auntie Mabel hiding this time?!”

Then again, if we weren’t compelled to put up with one another’s annoying idioscynchrocies, perhaps we wouldn’t be quite so vividly aware of why we needed a Savior in the first place. Instead of amending the old blessing—“May the Lord bless and keep the [relations] far away from us!”—perhaps I ought to spend more energy being grateful that we are hale, hearty and gainfully employed.

Our exaltation of the advent of a Savior may be all the more intense and personal for having spent time among those of us sinners for whom He came to die. And since that’s the purpose underlying the festivities to begin with, maybe it’s exactly as it should be, after all.