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Every Day Matters Sketchbook Pages Watercolor

A Gift: Everyday Matters #97

Everyday Matters - Gift

Micron Pigma ink and watercolor in large Moleskine watercolor notebook
(To enlarge, click image, select “All Sizes”)
This week’s EDM Challenge is to draw and write about a gift we’ve received.

On the last day of a watercolor class I was teaching, Donna brought this cute little Santa as a gift for me (along with some yummy pumpkin bread to share). In past years I was very grumpy during the holidays but this year I decided to try something different. Instead of ranting about rampant commercialism, I would try to be a source of good cheer. I discovered that if I stayed true to myself by opting out of shopping, exchanging gifts and partying, I could go through the holidays gracefully. This little Santa sits on my table as a cheery reminder of the fullness and joy the holidays can bring.

I love hearing about other people’s memories of wonderful family Christmas celebrations with snow and gingerbread and all. I never had those growing up in southern California in a non-religious Jewish family. It wasn’t until my parents divorced and my dad moved out that my mom decided we could celebrate Christmas. So she hung some decorations on a big piece of driftwood she’d found on the beach and stuck in a pot of dirt in the living room. Not the sort of holiday that sugar plum dreams are made of.

When I was married and my kids were little we made a big deal out of Christmas, and had some cozy family traditions. But as the kids got older and the marriage ended, I began to gradually back out of the holiday. Each year I got a smaller tree until one year I just hung up a little picture of a tree. Once the kids moved on to their own lives, I dropped the whole Christmas/Hanukah thing. I continued enjoying and celebrating Thanksgiving and New Years though, since those holidays, to me, are about reflecting and giving thanks and spending time with loved ones without the shopping.

Now I’m letting Christmas back in again, just a wee bit, with my little Santa sitting on my table, reminding me about the fullness and joy of the season. It seems to be working — I haven’t had a single rant and it’s already a week before Christmas. (Thanks Donna!)

(To slip just a bit in the rant department, I laughed at Willie’s Christmas tree here (notice what’s under the tree!).

Added in response to some comments: It’s hard to explain, but I really don’t feel sad at all. It’s kind of like I just don’t have that holiday gene so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I think I feel more unhappy when I force myself to participate in things that don’t feel authentic to me. So instead I’m kind of vicariously enjoying the holidays by watching other people who do have the gene and seeing how they enjoy the season and appreciating it.

14 replies on “A Gift: Everyday Matters #97”

A picture of a tree – that is so sad! Hope your blog friends can persuade you to join in the festivities! This Santa is lovely, hope he will have a few more Christmassy things alongside him soon! Wonderful shading in his tummy and base.

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Jana thanks for sharing this. I also have loads of trouble with Christmas. Comes from an unhappy childhood. Somehow Christmas always feels so forced! I too am trying to use creativeity to help me find moments of joy and peacefulness. You are VERY brave to opt out of the whole gift/party thing. I wish I could too!

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Jana — It’s amazing, isn’t it, how a tiny gift can sometimes turn one’s mood and view? While I will have plenty of family around — grands that delight me to hilarity (and exhaustion!!! LOL)– there is always a touch of sadness to the holidays … perhaps all the expectations we place on it, as well as the comparison to what ‘others’ are doing or PERCEIVED as doing. I find, especially as I grow older and the holidays keep changing with children on their own with obligations elsewhere, loss of loved ones, overwhelming fatigue and stressors of the season and remaining from work, that I often need to take myself in hand and remind ME that my attitude –what I decide to focus on — changes, very often, how I feel. I tend to find solace most often in nature — in watching the birds feed, battle the cold, in the trees that withstand all the changes (both good and bad) that the world offers … and my own meager attempts to find joy and gratitude in the smallest of things … warmth against the cold, cheer of a dancing fire, TIME spent doing what I love, the sweetness of a piece of fruitcake — while adding to my cholesterol levels — delicious nonetheless. I find that the more I focus on what I want to feel, the feelings follow … and this time of year … I want to feel grateful and joy-filled …. and so, I’ll spend the time filling my mind and heart with those — even amid the commercials and stress …

Join me, won’t you, cara? Perhaps we can be balm to one another ….

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Felicity and Lin, I appreciate your well wishes and concern. It’s hard to explain, but I really don’t feel sad at all. It’s kind of like I just don’t have that holiday gene so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I think I feel more unhappy when I force myself to participate in things that don’t feel authentic to me. So instead I’m kind of vicariously enjoying the holidays by watching other people who do have the gene and seeing how they enjoy the season and appreciating it.

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This is a wonderful post Jana, and I your watercolor of Santa is full of personality. It would make a great greeting card really. I think everyone feels a little “grinchy” sometimes, but I love the way you’ve turned it around.

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This little Santa is doing his job with you-letting you back into Christmas. Relax and don’t worry about your Christmas gene-when it wants to come out it will. And if it doesn’t,some other joyfulness will happen.

Just enjoy each day.

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Hello, there! A quick note to say that I love the santa … esp the hat where it really looks like there’s a high varnish surface. Wowser. Also – I am vicariously bummed about the cow glass. I understand what it’s like to lose something that was so perfect it was priceless. Ba-a-ad puddie tats!

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That all sounds perfectly reasonalbe to me, Jana.
I have gotten to the point that I am just tired of all the “push to buy”. I have been trying to bow out for several years now and it has ended up with a last minute flurry of stress. One of these days I’ll make it, or get into the spirit again.

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Yeah, I love seeing your drawing and hearing that it has helped in bringing some Christmas cheer as that you almost got a candle, I know everyone doesn’t celebrate the season. When I saw Santa sitting there I fell in love with him. And it’s neet to hear how others react to the season. As for my self I bought the biggest tree I had in a long time, I purched all new lights for outside and hung them with care!!!!

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THank you for this cheerful image to put a smile on the Christmas season which, as usual has me gasping. I was an only child living away from any relatives and celebrating Christmas always with just my two parents, who were nice enough, but boring. Somehow that loneliness memory, together with the cold (and commercial!)season makes for a challenging time.

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