Merry Christmas The Christmas season is a sentimental time. It lends itself to memories and attempts at memory making - family get-togethers and all the dysfunction that may or may not go along with that. We sing about romantic ideas like chestnuts roasting on an open fire somewhere, of sleigh bells and silver bells, of mamas kissing Santa, and grandma getting run over by reindeer…okay, maybe we’re not always thinking romantically about Christmas. There is the housecleaning and decorating and cooking and shopping and gift wrapping and event coordinating that goes along with the high expectations we have for this particular holiday. For some of us, it may only feel like a whole lot of work. Some of us might struggle with disappointments, broken relationships, or unpleasant memories that return with the season. So much gets added to Christmas, sometimes we can forget why we celebrate. When I was a little girl, I would sit under the Christmas tree listening to my mom’s