Holiday Mania

I love this time of year.   From pumpkins through the Christmas rush this season provides so many fun ways to make new memories and take comfort in traditions.    But I've noticed a trend in recent years that borders on commercial mania.    The fall stuff is now out in August, Halloween stuff in September, and by the time the kids break out their costumes, the pumpkins are passe.   On Oct 31st, a local grocery store was already promoting snowman decor - the fall stuff being relegated to the discount aisle. 

What is this merry go round of holiday madness?    Obviously marketers are out to maximize their profits but they wouldn't bother if we weren't willing to jump right in and buy seasonal things way out sync with the actual seasons. 

We live in an age when there have never been so many ways to be distracted and the demands for our attention have never been so, well, demanding.   I think the holiday madness reflects a deeper issue in our culture.    With so much distraction and demand, we are at risk of losing out completely on the gift of slowing down and savoring the present.   If you think about it in practical terms, the present is all we have at any given moment.    We can only grow and learn in the present.   The message from the barrage of holiday decor is essentially this - the present is not satisfying enough so we have to keep rushing toward the next "big" thing to be.....what exactly?  happy? satisfied?

Counseling is helpful for a long list of reasons, but I believe part of its effectiveness is that a person chooses to spend an hour in a quiet, comfortable environment exploring deeper issues and reflecting on the things that truly matter to him or her.    God wants us to slow down and take stock of our own hearts and minds so we can grow and know Him better, but we cannot do that unless we are very deliberate about it.   We can embrace the holiday rush in a healthy way but it is essential for our spiritual, emotional, and mental health to carve out these "spaces" for ourselves.  Otherwise, we will just remain swept up in the chaotic flow of distraction and demand.