You Are Not Alone
Our purpose is to help people of all ages navigate life. As a mother and son team, Debbie and Greg come together to talk about the realities and struggles all of us face in today’s world. They cover a wide array of topics from mental health to current events to teaching on topics that help us do life. As Christians, they know there is one thing that brings peace, hope, and encouragement to anything life throws at us, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Come along on the ride to learn what this means and how to get it. Your heart and life will be changed forever!
You Are Not Alone
Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas: A Deep Dive into Childhood Traditions and Holiday Spirit
Let's take a nostalgic journey back to the Christmas traditions we grew up with, shall we? (Tantalizing teaser). We unravel personal experiences and beloved routines that make Christmas the most anticipated holiday of the year. From attending special church services to decorating our homes, we're reminding you of the magical essence of Christmas. Join us as we relive the joy of the holiday season, all the while encouraging everyone to embrace the festive spirit with open hearts.
Ever wondered why hot chocolate somehow tastes better when sipped by the fire during Christmas? (Posing a provocative question). In this cozy episode, we delve into our favorite Christmas movies and the excitement of gift-giving. We candidly talk about the not-so-glamorous side of Christmas too, the pressure many parents feel to create the perfect holiday. Remember, it's not about overspending, but about cherishing quality time with loved ones! From Santa's cookies to reindeer food, we're celebrating the enchanting childhood traditions that make Christmas a magical time for family, friends, and expressing gratitude. Tune in for a heartwarming episode as we navigate the joys and challenges of the holiday season together.
Hello and welcome to another episode of the you are not alone podcast. My name is Debbie Gold and I'm here with my co-host and son, greg, and we are so glad that you're here with us. Each week on this show We'll talk about informative issues, issues that will make you think and help you grow. It is our wish that you will find Encouragement and a little bit of Jesus in every episode.
Speaker 2:Hey all, welcome back to our podcast. Um, as we approach the holiday season, you know Christmas is coming up. I Am super excited Because this is my favorite holiday and I wanted to talk about it with mom, because I realized that some people absolutely, you know, despise Christmas or don't like Christmas as much as you know I do. But yeah.
Speaker 1:do you think they despise it or do you think they just have a hard time? Yeah, during the holiday season, I think it's a hard time for them.
Speaker 2:Yeah during the holiday season and we just I'm gonna reinstate that magic of Christmas into y'all people. So I think it would be fun.
Speaker 1:I think that's a great message, greg, because this it really is all about, you know, the birth of Christ and the joy of this season and Remembering the real reason that we are here to celebrate this Mm-hmm and there's so many different meanings to Christmas too.
Speaker 2:I mean it's, you know, being around other people, being supported by friends. You love friends and family. Giving back Holiday cheer, you know Christmas carols.
Speaker 1:Yeah, trails of lights.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cookie parties.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Judy's cookie party.
Speaker 2:So many great events associated with Christmas right Decorating our house. Yeah, and I think if some people like miss all the joy in that, you know, because to them Decorating the house might just seem like another sticky note chore, you know.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, or or even go into a one more party. Yeah, it can be like I'm exhausted.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to sleep in, but you know you could only say those people stress for so long.
Speaker 1:So but I also want to you know, just not forget about Going to church and celebrating the reason why we are Celebrating Christmas yeah, in our family.
Speaker 2:We have a tradition we go to Hill Country Bible Church every Christmas Eve and they do this Amazing ceremony. With Rick Trevino country I was that comes out he does silent night with the kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he calls all the young ones, like all the young. Well, I mean any of them that can actually walk. But I think parents, some parents, will take their little babies up too. I thought young ones, and then it's as old as you really want to be, mm-hmm, but I could still go up there, I guarantee, if you wanted to, yeah but typically it's a little you know, yeah, they do away in the manger and they're all kind of swaying back and forth up on the big stage.
Speaker 2:They might do silent night too. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Was it it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is silent night. No, it is.
Speaker 1:You know what? No, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now I'm gonna listen this year.
Speaker 1:I can see him doing both. It's a very calming mellow song it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they show the kids on the jumbotron.
Speaker 1:Faces of yeah, and it's so cute. Some of them are singing, some are looking around, some are picking their nose. It's holy night you know.
Speaker 2:And then when the verse drops, the beat comes in. That's when the snow.
Speaker 1:But that's not what. That's not what Rick does. No no that's, that's the but that's when the snow comes. Yeah yes, it snows at our church. Yes, yeah, we love it.
Speaker 2:It's bubbles, but you know, let's just say it's no, okay, wink, wink. But yeah, that's. Oh my gosh. I remember seeing the snow for the first time as a kid.
Speaker 1:Yes, snow came down. I was like, oh my goodness, and we like the candle. When he's got a little candle they're holding.
Speaker 2:You can see every, each individual candle in the church. It's so pretty.
Speaker 1:Yes. Oh it's, it's just such a big part of our Christmas. What else? Concerts, concerts, people do concerts and plays.
Speaker 2:We saw a very in orchestra one year and it was, oh my gosh, I was like six or seven. I still remember that concert fully. That was insane.
Speaker 1:So it's so intense. Yeah don't don't on a.
Speaker 2:Don't don't on a yeah, yeah, it's crazy, it gets you in that holiday mood.
Speaker 1:It really does I mean, you cannot even ignore that.
Speaker 2:second and then.
Speaker 1:But you know, I have really fun this year with you, greg. You know, a lot of times I'll take care of the decorating on the inside and and the lights are kind of the outside guy type light thing to do right, or you know, or. Responsibility some new Eicycle lights for a part of the house that we didn't ever have lights on before, and so I had bought some early in the season to say we were gonna finish the rest of this yeah and so you and I took on that challenge of yeah doing it.
Speaker 2:but let's not forget the most important part is the light was not Unwrapped right, so we had to sit there, grab every single light on twist string of light, the little hang down yeah, yeah, you, you, you on. Twist in the opposite direction of the two, circle the cords or whatever. You pull for five seconds really hard, and there are about seventy three on each one, I counted on each string yes, we did seventy three times six. Whatever that number is three.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah it was a little cray cray yeah it. You know, my fingers were sore, yeah it looks freaking killer.
Speaker 2:It looks so amazing, it's so worth it. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:I'm there. And then here's here's a little tip for y'all, all your listeners out there we put one string of lights up without plugging it in. This is how we started put a string of lights up and then we started doing that twisty thing and get it to kind of this kind of hang down. And then we got done with the whole string and we went, plugged it in and, oh my gosh, right in the center of the string, it was like the center third.
Speaker 1:You know you do third, a third, a third. That center third did not light and I'm like oh yeah, yeah, that did not just happen yeah, and then dad's in the background going. I always tell you all to plug the lights in before you hang them up. Make sure they work, and I'm going.
Speaker 2:Okay, whatever yeah, we figured it out eventually yeah, yeah, but you know what?
Speaker 1:that's a memory that we just created yeah, yeah, we're gonna be great like oh my gosh yeah yeah, and then we're standing up there when it gets night, that night at night, it starts to get dark and I'm going Look at our lights. And then we look, I say now look at dad's over there, the ones he hangs up every year for the last four years and I'm, like I said better, yeah yeah, and then we decorated the apartment across the street to the side yeah, and then low tradition.
Speaker 2:I don't know if it's too early to bring this up, but that's gonna be a well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, whatever you want to, I don't care, put it wherever you want, sure it can go both places. Okay, we do have a little program that we follow and a little outline that we try to follow for our podcast so yeah, I was just. Go to the end.
Speaker 2:So here's another tradition we have so when I was, so that was my grandma is yes, gregory's G man in our family. I don't know what I got that book, but every Christmas I seem to play and just listen to it right.
Speaker 1:So it's one of those recorded books from hallmark where grandma bought it and she record. She read it and it was recorded as she was reading and so she flipped the pages. Keep your voice and yeah it's just a fun thing to pull out right.
Speaker 2:I love doing that every Christmas it's a little tradition.
Speaker 1:I have chase. That's one too yeah, that's right so I always have grandma's voice. What are some other traditions? I'm trying to think of making cookies. Oh my god man, that's a huge one, okay so I've been working a lot lately and I haven't really quite got there yet. So I don't know. We all forget. I don't make this year. I know that's.
Speaker 2:That's a hard call right, I just go next door to do your barracks and she'll take care of me, she won't. Yeah, she would totally do that because we just had a massive Christmas cookie party over there at our neighbors and it was wonderful. It was a great time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it was truly a good time. And the idea is and she's been doing this for years, I don't even know how many yeah but you take two dozen cookies and then you come home with two dozen cookies. So you take two dozen, you lay, everybody puts them out on a table and people eat. You know some here and there, but the idea is that you get to take two dozen of someone else's cookies home to have a variety.
Speaker 2:Yeah and get to, you know, to experience something different yeah, and I brought my buddy to and he really had a good night that night. It was fun. I'm glad we met so many different people to and just connect with a bunch of people that I didn't know before too yeah cool, it was great yeah, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1:hot chocolate is always something I think of during the it's one of my favorites right there celebration.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, how can you not love hot chocolate, hot?
Speaker 1:chocolate. It's the best Having fire, have some marshmallows, yeah, just being cozy by the fire yeah. That homey feeling oh, watching movies, christmas movies oh my God, charlie Brown.
Speaker 2:Yes, stuff like that.
Speaker 1:The elf Home Alone.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:There's a new Eddie Murphy movie out. We came something.
Speaker 2:For Christmas. The one with the train.
Speaker 1:Express Something Express.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, polar, polar Express, polar Express. Yeah, that's a classic one too, you were touching your nose like this.
Speaker 1:Did you know that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1:I was like come on, come on, it's there. Yeah, sounds like mm-mm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mm-mm.
Speaker 1:You know, what I love about the holiday season is gift giving. People seem to want to open their hearts and give to charities, or give bicycles to bicycle drives yeah. Or, you know, people do really get into the spirit.
Speaker 2:People are so much more helpful around this time. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I noticed that too Um it's pretty great. It's really amazing. Yeah, it is Um but you know, I love it, I just love it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, just the family time, the time with the friends, that sometimes you just get too busy throughout the year and yeah, because that time is precious Mm-hmm and you realize that you have so much more to be thankful for. Yeah, there's so much, um, yeah, just there's so much beauty in being with friends and family that, um, we really have to remember to really make that a priority at Christmas All year. Okay, that's Nico, our dog, that's blind.
Speaker 2:He just ran into a door.
Speaker 1:Sorry about that, okay, um, oh, we talked about gift giving, right? Yeah, I think so, yeah, yeah, don't, don't overspend on people. Yeah, if people knew that you were overspending out of your budget, they would not want you to do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I'm just saying don't do that, yeah, they'll be selfish buyers.
Speaker 1:About that, I don't know. Yeah, okay, okay, so.
Speaker 2:Some people get down during Christmas. What do you think that is? Some people are stressed during Christmas. I think I think what I was saying to you earlier I was saying I feel like parents that don't have that feeling of Christmas joy anymore is because they put so much pressure and stress on themselves to make Christmas great for their kids. You know, they're putting so much out there for their kids just so it's a memorable Christmas that they feel warned to the bone.
Speaker 2:So taking the time to get the stuff but spending the money to get Running all over town, getting these tickets for your daughter that she wants to go see a concert, getting this bicycle for your son, jimmy, that he wanted since he was a kid, or something like that, going to I don't know Zales and buying a diamond earring for your wife, or something like that.
Speaker 1:I mean it can be stressful for a lot of people that would be two diamond earrings, not just one, I know but a set of diamond earrings. Thank you, don't mess that up later. No, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I bet you want earrings like a pirate Arrr, here you go, honey, you're gonna kiss me. That's another thing, but yeah, I feel like they put so much out there, and then on Christmas Eve they sit down there like I did it. And then Christmas morning comes and they're just exhausted and then you know he doesn't mention Santa or anything because he's sleep deprived.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I know, speaking as a parent, and I know it's like you want to do for your kids and you want to get all those really cool, awesome things that they want or, surprisingly, something they weren't even thinking of, and but yes, I mean, I think you have to put limits on yourself. You know what is in the budget, what is my timing, my time look like that I can put into these creative endeavors to give gifts to my family and yeah, so there's a lot of consideration and sometimes we overdo.
Speaker 2:I can see why Christmas can be stressful or annoying for parents sometimes, because what was the earliest time I ever woke y'all up? Oh gosh for Christmas.
Speaker 1:I'm probably not even going to remember that because I want to forget it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, probably like four or five, I know.
Speaker 1:I remember dad put rules on it at some point.
Speaker 2:He's like.
Speaker 1:OK, we're not getting up before blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because it got. It got crazy at one point.
Speaker 2:I woke up at like five and I just couldn't sleep and I looked at the tree and presents were there like holy crap, Santa's here. Yeah, he just visited. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:What's the guys? Guys, guys, guys, guys. And who can go back to sleep at that point?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Nobody, no, no, it's the thing that's the funny thing I can never sleep on Christmas. I am so excited, I'm just ecstatic. No because I just, even though you know Santa might not be all that, I just feel like you know he's still coming with his slenderness, reindeer and all that. He's going to drop the presents down the chimney or he's going to come down the chimney and drop the presents by the tree. Eat the cookies. We used to leave out cookies. That's it too.
Speaker 1:Milk and cookies for Santa?
Speaker 2:Yes, we did reindeer food, too, on the front lawn. That was fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh man. Yeah, so many great memories for me.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean, I think too, you know, in addition to like kind of getting carried away, as parents and even I mean I'm sure you know non-parents can do it too Want to give, give give to this friend, that friend, you know but sometimes I think it's emotionally tied to maybe some memories or some things. You know, you feel like a sadness over the holidays because maybe your mom or dad died during that time, or you know really great grandpa or grandma or it just reminds you of something.
Speaker 1:It reminds you of something that wasn't so great, yeah, and so. So there can be those things, and I think the best thing to do when you are feeling sad or like you're feeling lonely, any of those things, is just to kind of really embrace your feelings and stay with that and then look for ways to Surround yourself with positive yeah with some people Don't stay in that.
Speaker 1:But you know, like I said, embrace it, stay with it for just a little bit, but then get out there and get going. And yeah, sometimes the memories in the I think that's I'm sorry, I'm hesitating, because there are just family sort of moments in the press. Doc Schumann 200, they think it's still as exciting as this is All of these things. My sister passed away a few days ago and it has changed my Christmas.
Speaker 2:A little bit yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't really get into the Christmas music so much, only because I feel like I'm so busy trying to help plan a funeral and trying to balance my work and my kids and everything. But that's okay, it's temporary. I kind of want to focus on her right now and focus on my loss. I'm choosing to do that. It's kind of an in and out moment where I've got that and I want to be that way. But then I want to be oh, here comes my favorite Christmas song on the radio and then I'm out of it. So I think it's just what we're talking about. You can be in that moment, but then make sure you're trying to get yourself into something else.
Speaker 2:I want to also say something. The night you found out your sister passed. I told you don't be at home by yourself. Surround yourself with the people you love.
Speaker 1:Right, because we were at the cookie party.
Speaker 2:And I saw family and friends support you and just they were asking me how's she doing? Give me your mama, a hug for me. Your mom is an angel, come here. They would just come up to me and give me hugs.
Speaker 1:I was like I don't even know you, but thank you.
Speaker 2:Wow, you have such a support system behind you and the messages, yeah, the messages you were getting. They were just so heartfelt. You have a great community of people behind you.
Speaker 1:It's really nice to hear.
Speaker 2:That's what other holidays are about giving, supporting each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, yeah, so are they. But is any day ever happy? Is any day maybe sad? Is it any different at Christmas? No, probably not. You know, we have the good and we have the bad. How could it be different at Christmas? But the one thing we can do is keep our focus on what the reason is for the season, and that is to give and to love and to open our hearts to people. And you know, what you just gave a testimony of is what people were doing.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I saw that and I was like, wow, I don't want to leave here. I feel so supported. Everyone's got my mom's back. Whatever she needs, they'll take care of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It really shows you who your true friends are.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:That's how I knew. I didn't know. I mean, people were coming up to me and I was sort of half not, like okay, thank you. But I didn't want to get into it because I didn't want to start crying and I just wanted to keep going. I had my cry time in the bathroom. But yeah, my sister Linda, it was her birthday and she died on her birthday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I've learned that today she was 65.
Speaker 1:Born in 1958, on December 9th, and she died in 2023, on December 9th, 65 years old.
Speaker 2:That's crazy on a birthday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is. She was a sweet soul. She'll be watching us.
Speaker 2:She'll be watching us open presents and she'll be up there watching.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she'll be happy for us. She sure will. Anyway, see, that just makes me smile.
Speaker 2:Yeah, knowing she's up there watching.
Speaker 1:And I think when you have someone that is going through something, say those kind words like Greg does, like he just did to me. I mean that makes me smile. Greg, you're so good at that, Thank you.
Speaker 2:You've got to be on the right side of things. You can just be stuck on the bad negative all the time. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you did that with. We were talking to my nephew today. We had him on speakerphone and he said something, and then you, just you said something that was so positive.
Speaker 2:Again, it was like you're doing the best you can.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Keep it up.
Speaker 1:Just keep it up. Yeah, I love that. So be encouraging to others. And sometimes, when we're encouraging to others, when we're hurting too, that makes us feel better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that little encouragement moves can be everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I don't know there was a lot of stuff tonight. I don't think we followed our program and our points that we wanted to cover.
Speaker 2:I think it turned out great, I know, but that's okay and you know.
Speaker 1:I would just want to say in closing just think about those things that are important to you, reminisce, think, go back and pull out those pictures. Thank you. Yeah when you're a little or get. I don't know where your parents have those pictures now I have albums, but anyway, you know, go back and get out that book that was recorded for you, or read those books that your mom read to you when you were. You know, a child and I have a snow village.
Speaker 1:Yeah which is overgrown and way too big for my house anymore next year.
Speaker 2:We're going crazy, we're going full on.
Speaker 1:Okay, man, you need to help me, yeah it's a big deal, but I don't the space that we had, that I like to keep it, and Greg Greg help me pick out some pieces and that were important to Him, and so we did that. Old music I love old music and I love new music. Christmas music, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cherish every moment with whoever you are or whoever you have near you, because you never know when it could be. Your last Time is important. Time is money. Don't waste time, um, and don't reminisce on the bad stuff, I'd say so look on the bright side and keep it positive. Yeah cuz the season is about giving and enjoying the positive, so yeah that's what I got to say.
Speaker 1:Well said thank you what is gonna be our takeaway?
Speaker 2:because we are totally outscrewed like I said, I think that was our take away, that was it. Okay, love your family, love your friends. Cherish every moment while you can be good.
Speaker 1:Be good to people. Be good to yourself. Go to church. Go to church. Yeah, you go meet somebody. Anyway, all right, we're gonna close out for tonight and.
Speaker 2:Thank you, jesus, for this episode.
Speaker 1:Yes you are not alone.
Speaker 2:You are not alone. Thank you, guys, so much for listening. Signing off See ya.