Last year I banned a bible class from my house on christmas eve because I took the impression they were coming to gloat over taking my wife away with them. I celebrated the seasons festivities with my son. THis year, now I am seperated from her I will be having my son around to celebrate the festivities, I will be seeing him take part in the school nativity play (even if I am and Atheist). It is a good warm time. Forget what the WT have said in their publications about being a stressful time of the year. What do they know?
Forget the Watchtower,...we are celebrating Christmas
by trailerfitter 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Gayle
wow, congratulations,,wonderful that you are filling your son with fun and joyful activities for his youth. He will always look to you with his positive childhood. You provide an open door to him of opportunities, freedom of mind and heart!!
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LisaRose
One of the nice things about leaving the JWs is that you can pick and choose how you want to celebrate, or even if you want to. Want to just go the company party and call it good? Do that. Want to go all out and rival Martha Stewart, do that. No traditions but what you choose to do. Having made fun of the frantic shoppers careening around the mall parking lots, I knew I didnt want to do that (I hate malls any way). I choose to buy simple gifts, and either shop earlier in the year or on line. But I love to decorate, so I do that. And I love to bake, so lots of cookies. So Christmas can be whatever you want it to be.
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Quendi
Last year saw me celebrating Christmas for the first time since 1973 and I loved it! I’m looking forward to this year’s holiday season with much anticipation. Congratulations on your rediscovery of what the holidays really mean: the opportunity to celebrate your love of life and family.
Quendi
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Phizzy
We always had a bloody good time at Chrissy even when we were in, all the family came "home" from various parts overseas and we had HUGE meals and loads of booze
It's a little different now, the JW's in the family do their own thing, and we XJW's get together and have Huge meals, lots of booze AND presents !
We still cannot go the whole hog and have Christmas lights festooning the place and a Big Bugger 50ft illuminated Santa at the front of the house as we would like to do, boy, I would love to be So TACKY !
But , while certain elderly JW relatives are still with us we don't want to be DF'd.
But, F**K The Watchtower, we are going to have the BEST Christmas yet, this old unbelieving Fart loves it !
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Chariklo
I haven't had Christmas for the last two years. This year is going to be a fantastic Christmas!
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nuthouse escapee
congratulations Trailerfitter. It does not matter whether you are an atheist or a believer. Christmas means something different to everybody but what we all share together is the joy of getting together with our loved ones. That is great that your son will be in the nativity play and that you are going to be there to support him. He will never forget this as he grows older. I am truly happy for you. Leslie
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ziddina
Good for you!!
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finally awake
THis year will be my kids' first Christmas. I'm going to get a big tree, and cover it with decorations and put it right in the front window.
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WTWizard
It is stressful, but that only highlights that not all stress is bad. Excitement is stress, just as dread and fear. I view Christmas as a "positive stress".
The stress is real. To celebrate Christmas, you will probably deal with crowded shopping malls and stores (and pretty lights and good music). You will be dealing with a good deal of hectic activity involving buying gifts, decorating, putting up a tree, wrapping things, baking, sending out cards, untangling Christmas lights, and visiting people. Even the act of opening the presents is stress (positive stress it may be). Yes, there is a measure of negative stress along with it--the crowded stores, untangling lights, and dealing with strife from relatives can be negative. But, there are ways around it and the positive outweighs the negative.
To minimize some of the negative stress while maximizing the positive stress, you can do most of your shopping online and get it done early. Buy your decorations online and make sure you have provisions to properly store them. Winding your lights and tinsel garlands instead of shoving them into a box reduces tangling and damage next year. You can still do one bout of physical shopping to enjoy the show, but you will not be as pressured to find that perfect gift. Good planning, proper storage of things, and organization will reduce the bad stress. You get more of the positive stress (think: The stress you get at the amusement park).
To put in perspective, think of the stress from the REJECT Astaroth Party. I believe this dreadful event is March 27 (Easter is March 31). For this, you are pressured to pious-sneer for 3 consecutive months just as the weather is improving. You are pressured to get wastes of paper through the whole territory. There is more pressure to get out in field circus and for longer periods. Pressure to clean the Kingdumb Hell and get things ready to go. Pressure to get that new outfit that you will not enjoy. Pressure from the hounders to be more regular in field circus. A hassle at the party itself--parking, congestion at the dump where it is held, and more pressure to do more. All negative stress. And for what? It is about as much positive stress as sitting at home watching the news.
Or, take the Grand Boasting Session. You book a motel--they want you to call at once despite that you are wasting your time going through 15 or 20 motels that are already booked. This wastes long distance toll charges as well, as well as wasting the motels' time. You will need to repeat the call in April, when you are more likely to get an actual room (I skipped the January callings, only to get hounded by the hounders about finding a room in January). There are reminders about conduct. You get your embarrassment badge, and there are parking and travel arrangements to make. You need to synchronize your vacation with the Grand Boasting Session. There are waste of paper distribution campaigns involved. Once there, it is crowded. Hounders are everywhere ordering people around. There is a rule for everything. You end up tired at the end of it, and usually it's about as exciting as the trip itself would have been. Then there is lingering negative stress in the form of crackdowns, music thrown away, and activities lost for the program.
I think I will put up with a few tangled light strings and crowded malls.
