Christmas is around the corner. There is tension everywhere. The weather has suddenly changed. I can feel it all over me. There is this unusual rush that is totally different from what we know in Port Harcourt City. People are struggling so hard to meet up with the demands of the season.
The month of December is known for its uniqueness. It is the most anticipated month of the year. We live and work all through the year with the hope of enjoying the fruits of our labour at Christmas. Christmas songs are not left out as we wake up every morning to the wonderful tunes. I don’t know how you feel, but I know there is something about Christmas whenever the songs play. All over town we have Christmas decorations, beautiful ones. All these bring to our subconscious the reality of Christmas.
As women and mothers, we find ourselves spending so much time shopping for the family. Some women start shopping as early as October just to beat the high cost of commodities that December rush will bring. There are husbands who don’t care what the family eats or wears, but during Christmas, you see them making efforts to give their families the best.
So many women have come up with endless lists of things to be bought in readiness for Christmas. There are women who will go out of their way to make sure their husbands know no peace until provision is made for all the goodies of Christmas.
But I want to ask you this question that dropped in my heart to me last year December when I almost hint my legs in course of shopping for Christmas: “Is December not like every other month in the year? Other months of the year, January, March, May, July, August, October, do they not have thirty one days like December? Why is December so special to kill yourself and I pause for a while to get the message straight to my head. And it went on, the only why we should be worry about Christmas is love, how we can show love to the less privileged and count how many you could be able to put smile on their faces. I believe in celebrations. I may not be the social type, but I love it when I see people rejoice for good. It is good, absolutely wonderful to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ because that was one birth which brought us salvation and Jesus Christ was given to us because of love and we should reciprocate that love to mankind.
But there is another thing that borders me so much about Christmas; are we really celebrating it the way we should? Are we not being selfish unlike Christ who gave His all? If truly our celebration is because of Him, should we not do it in His own way? There was a time I believed Christmas was all about traveling home and cooking, eating, and drinking. I used to believe it is all about new clothes and parties, but I am happier now that I, to an extent understand the true meaning of Christmas. I still want to understand it better and do newer and better things as the years go by.
I am not trying to say Christmas should go without some form of merriment because good things come with merriment which Jesus Christ was. What I am saying is that we should do it in such a way that the person we are celebrating His birthday is pleased.
By this time of the year, so many Nigerian mothers are not bordered about their children progress in school. By the time their results are out, we care less about their grades all because we are so engulfed with the preparations for Christmas and the things they want us to buy for them that we don’t even know when they are ending the term. Is this what it should be? I visited a friend of mine who owned a school, and she was making calls, calling the parents to bring the part paymet of the school fees owed by their wards, what I heard baffles me, the parent answered and said, Aunty, I will pay for the provisions, my children will go home with and not the school fees, when they resume by January, I will see to the fees.
Right, let us look at the area of shopping; this is the time when we see men go through undue stress just because they must satisfy their wives. We see women ask for a change of vehicles, not because they need it, but because their friends got one from their husbands. This is the season women tell lies to their husbands and sleep with different men simply because they must look good and be envied during Christmas.
Christmas is one season when you see women do all sort things just because they must save for Christmas. By now, so many men have dished out money for all that is necessary for Christmas. Your man has given you money for clothes, food items, and so many other things. He has given you a specific amount for parents from both sides. But what is your plan? You have started making preparations to buy the poor quality for his mum while your own mother gets the latest design. This is absolutely wrong, may your mind never plan evil.
What about your house help? You took that little girl from the village to take care of her. Now is the time to show how much you care about her. I know some women, in a bid to get their husband eyes off their househelp, put the poor, innocent girl under so much pain for something she has no idea about. Please stop making your house help look like a beggar while you adorn your own children in costly ornaments.
This is a season of love and love should be seen in all you do. Give her money to visit a salon for a very good hairstyle that is different from her regular “simbi hairdo”. Get her clothes to suit her body type and stop giving her very loose, unfitted clothes just because you are afraid of losing your husband to her and you also don’t want her to be admired more than your children. You know what; if God’s hand is upon that girl, you cannot stop her from being admired, even her old tattered dress, she can still be admired.
My fellow women, it is Christmas, a season of love and sharing. We should go into our closet and fish out those clothes, shoes, and bags we have not worn for the past months and gave them to those who really need them. Jesus Christ did the same; He removed those old garments from us and gives us the new garment of salvation that had made us to smile today.
Christmas is here for you to reach out to the less privileged. The party you intended to throw for the high societal friends, throw it for the less privileged. Those that cannot repay you, and you will see your reward coming rapidly. That why, we complain after Christmas that things are hard because we did not sow it to the right source.
Think of those helpless ones around you; think of those old, weak people in your community. My dear, it is time to let them know someone cares about them.
Christmas is also the time of the year when we take stock of our lives. Tell me, what was your life like during the year? What are your achievements in the year 2015? When I talk about achievements, I don’t mean the number of cars you acquired, neither am I talking about the new business you started. Remember that song; “fading away like the stars of the morning….only remembered by what we have done”. How many were you able to give hope and to lift their hands to a place of dancing and rejoicing?
What are you going to be remembered for in the year 2015? Of what use were you to humanity? How many faces did you put smiles? This to me is the whole essence of life. Plan for your Christmas, you made it to the end of the year and I agree that is a good enough reason to rejoice and celebrate. But in your celebration, don’t forget the reason for the season.
Have a pleasant Christmas, fruitfulness awaits your 2016. ###
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