Finding the spirit

Normally if you were to ask me if I was excited for the holiday season I would make a non committal noise and move on with my day. Holidays are nice and all, but I am never very good at getting into the spirit of things. As much as I love all the togetherness, and the food, and the gift giving (because gifting is a love language for me), and those social aspects of the holidays, I typically find the other holiday trappings to be tedious and exhausting.

The idea of spending all of that time and effort on decorating for the holidays sort of sets me on edge. I dislike the kitschy side of the holidays finding it all together gaudy and unappealing. I find that decorating to the point of excess is only more opportunities for my cats to destroy things. I know that I will be the only one putting up and removing decorations as well so that isn't really adding to the appeal.

Also can I tell you how much I loathe being surrounded by Christmas music. If it were just gently interspersed in my regular life starting a few weeks before the day that would be one thing, but that is not how it works. Instead every shopping center in the land is blaring some form of Christmas music starting earlier and earlier. One of my favorite radio stations has converted to all Christmas all the time already. It is still over a week until Thanksgiving for Pete's sake.

Normally aside from buying presents you can't really get me into the spirit until about the week before. I will do my minimal decorating in early December just to get it over with, but we don't put up the tree until Christmas Eve. For one thing trees come cheaper the day before and I am already spending too much money this time of year. Really though I like waiting that long because then the tree seems to hold some sort of magic as opposed to a decorative item that my cats have been using as a water dish for a month.

This year something seems to be different. While I still detest the idea of doing anything Christmas like before Thanksgiving, I am finding myself lamenting the fact that I will not be home the weekend after Thanksgiving to do my decorating. I am actually looking forward to decorating and considering maybe doing a little more than I normally would.

I have no idea what has come over me. I am actually feeling the spirit of the holidays early. It is just weird and it is really freaking me out a little bit. I am not a holiday person. The only thing weirder is if I suddenly became a morning person too.

I think what it may be is simply that I need it. I need a little extra joy and merriment in my life right now. I need some cheerful happiness to counteract the doldrums that occupy my life. A few twinkly lights and sprigs of holly is sounding more and more like what the doctor ordered.

I am still not listening to Christmas music, I am not that far gone.