Over the past few Christmases, have you noticed that the lights on the tree are lacking some of their luster? If so, you could be subject to a very common ailment suffered by many on a yearly basis. It’s called ACS, (Aging Christmas Syndrome) and don’t worry, you’re not alone. I remember a time when I was able to watch classic Christmas movies to get myself excited for the season, but it seems that those days are all but gone now.
The season of giving isn’t giving me much anymore, except the occasional migraine. I can’t really describe whether it is the immense pressure to buy gifts for people or the fake nature of the season in general. But what I can say is that there has been a sharp decline in my active Christmas participation over the past 5 years. The only thing that still seems to feel like it did when I was little is the delicious Christmas cookies that I seem to devour year after year. When asked about their experiences with ACS, my family members and personal friends confessed to the same types of issues. Is Christmas in need of a serious overhaul? Or, is it just for the young at heart? Unfortunately I cannot answer that question but what I can say is that since I have found out about the Santa lie, as I like to call it; my spirit during that time of year began to decline slowly.
Overall, it seems that older folks that actually do enjoy the season do so because of the younger people that they are involved with in their own lives. Is there some part of scrooge in all of us? In retrospect, Scrooge was a smart man for always keeping his finances first in his life. In the grand scheme of things, Christmas is just another day on the calendar, one that we all are a part of, whether we choose to be or not. When I was younger, everything about Christmas was more exciting. I would love to walk around my house a see all the Christmas decoration hanging. The nostalgia of Christmas was what made it so comfortable and exciting for me as a kid in retrospect.
When people grow up they are able to step outside of the young, child oriented world be a part of the real world. For kids who have no responsibility or bills to pay, Christmas is easy to enjoy. Give a kid $5,000 in credit card debt, and an outstanding DUI and then see how good his Christmas really is. The meat of the argument here is that as people age, their lives become steeped in the real world with adult problems and adult responsibilities. If anything, it is beneficial for children to enjoy that time of their lives as much as possible before they, too, have to make themselves a part of our everyday real world. This also makes one think of their children and how they will share Christmas with them when the time comes.
I find that the best thing to do is let your children figure out Christmas and they will be better for it. In the meantime if you find yourself a victim of ACS contact a local Salvation Army location immediately and give this holiday season because as inspirited as you may be there is always a chance to make someone else’s Christmas enjoyable this year.
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