As the years move on and we all come of age, it seems as though the Christmas spirit starts to deteriorate. During the younger years of my childhood, there always used to be this indisputable magic surrounding the most wonderful time of the year. Unfortunately, as I reached my teenage years, those sentimental feelings began to plummet. It seems as though Christmas just doesn’t have the same liveliness that it once did.
Perhaps the magic I felt during the holiday season was due to my childish imagination running wild and waiting for all those presents that would be sitting underneath the tree come Christmas morning. Or, more believably, the reasons for these nostalgic emotions could be that… (whispers) Santa isn’t real. Oh god, the unspeakable has been spoken. Yes, Santa isn’t real, and that’s the prominent reason why teenagers don’t feel as connected to the season as they used to.
When we realize that an old guy in a red suit with reindeer and elves working at his every beck and call is in fact not real, the holiday joy loses its sense of surprise.
As we become young adults, the real Santas—who are our guardians—are buying their children’s presents right in front of them. That wistful feeling we garnered during our adolescent years is no more; all that is left are the memories.
One thing that has become more noticeable lately is how fast time moves now that I am reaching the peak of my teen years, but during the holidays, the reemergence of these feelings is at an all-time high.
The days we all dread are morphing into weeks in the blink of an eye—the same weeks that will inevitably become months, soon turning into years. Perhaps this loss of juncture is the reason that I don’t necessarily love Christmas anymore. Maybe, since time is moving by so quickly, there is this absence of eagerness for the season to arrive. The last few years, when the holiday would come around again, it just felt like any other day, not the magical phenomenon it is portrayed as.
Various factors may contribute to this loss of connection, such as endless stress regarding school work and our social lives, but the answer mostly lies in the realization of the size-to-time ratio.
Bear with me for a moment, but imagine you are a fly. Now these insects live short lives, but what if that time didn’t feel so short for them? The reason flies can detect things such as fly swatters is that, although there is no confirmation, it is believed that they experience time more slowly in relation to humans. I envy the ability to live life at a slower speed and truly appreciate the world around me before I can’t anymore. If you think about it, a single day for us could be a lifetime for other creatures.
That interpretation might have sounded a little out of pocket, but it gives me a better understanding of the saying “enjoy the little things in life.” A key contributor to this is that one might have to remember being younger in order to fully grasp the concept. We all must enjoy being children for the little time we have left because, sooner or later, adulthood will be upon us.
Time will keep moving on until it’s time to go, so make sure to appreciate the little things this holiday season while we still have them. Stop scrolling through social media, put down your phone, and look at the world around you. Go out for a drive with your friends and look at the Christmas lights; watch the snowfall from your bedroom window; drink hot chocolate with your loved ones; just try to reconnect with the holiday spirit as much as possible.
Although my tender feelings for Christmas may still be severed, it feels necessary to mend them before time takes its course.
