Hallmark Christmas Movies… Are You Kidding Me?

I admit it. I like Hallmark Christmas movies. There, I said it. For all the times I’ve complained about them, for all the times I’ve teased my family about them, I enjoy them. In fact, I even subscribe to an additional streaming network just to add the Great American Movie Channel to our televisions so I can watch more Christmas movies. Lifetime has a lot of good Christmas movies, as well.

The Christmas movies on all these channels are cheesy, but really quite good if you take the time to watch them. Yes, they all have a similar theme and they all tell a similar story, but they’re enjoyable family viewing. They allow you to escape.

Each Christmas movie starts out with a character focused on their career and becoming successful in life. They are going through the steps, some climbing the ladder, but they’re missing something in their life. The something is usually that perfect someone, and because of that, true happiness. They’re so busy caught up in their career that they’ve forgotten what Christmas is really all about. They somehow stumble upon that special someone and not only find love, but also the true meaning of Christmas.

We are currently in full swing of “Christmas in July” on these stations. Their Christmas movies are playing throughout the month of July. They will return again in October or November, just in time for the Christmas season. I often joke that I pay all this money for streaming services, but we only watch four channels in our house: Hallmark, Great American Movie Channel, Lifetime and HGTV, with occasionally any channel that airs a hockey game.

I’m often surprised about how good the acting is in some of these shows. My favorite is “Crown for Christmas”. The entire cast in this movie, which includes Danica McKellar, Rupert Penry-Jones and Ellie Botterill are excellent. Theodora, the young princess played by Ellie Botterill is absolutely perfect in this part. How she can be so good at such a young age is beyond me. I even have a great grandniece named Theodora, whom I’ve not yet met, but hope to someday just so I can see if she is the beautiful little princess from the movie that so warms my heart.

Why all this talk about Christmas movies? Because with Myasthenia Gravis, we need these kinds of distractions. Each of these movies is a fairy tale. In each, the main character finds true love while also rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas. They make me forget about all the troubles in my life and focus on the fairy tale playing out in front of my eyes. Even though I know how each movie is going to end even before I watch it, I still get that warm feeling. As the credits start rolling at the end of each movie, I will typically blurt out “there you have it”, another fairy tale that ends with happily ever after.

Life isn’t always a fairy tale. Having Myasthenia Gravis certainly isn’t. There’s the weakness, the aches and pains, the inability to do things, the fatigue, the hoarseness, the drooling, the difficulty reading. It’s not fun and it certainly isn’t a fairy tale.

So, what should we do when MG gets us down? I’d suggest turning on a Christmas movie from Hallmark, the Great American Movie Channel or Lifetime. Don’t just watch it, get absorbed in it. Follow the characters. Relate to what they are feeling. Appreciate the acting. Enjoy the sets. Think back to your best Christmases. Dream about what brings joy to you. Plan your next Christmas extravaganza. Imagine yourself in the fairy tale. You’ll find yourself walking through a Christmas village lit by beautiful sparkling lights, surrounded by happy joyous people, and absorbing the Christmas spirit. Feel the love.

I believe if you do this, and really allow yourself to get absorbed, you’ll forget about your MG symptoms. You’ll forget about your struggles. You’ll feel the warmth. You’ll feel the happiness. You’ll live the fairy tale. It may only be for a few minutes, but it’ll sure feel good while you’re there.

Maybe Christmas movies aren’t your thing. Maybe you’d prefer watching something else. Then do it but try to pick something that is uplifting. Try to select something that has a happily ever after ending. It’s the escape you’re looking for and a way to feel better while watching it. It’s whatever works for you.

Find your escape and live the fairy tale. You deserve that.