Saturday, December 15, 2007

Seeking Sugarplums

I read a book to my kids tonight in which the main character "Just couldn't wait for Christmas!" I chuckled and wondered, "At what point in our lives does the season of Christmas become such a hassle? (Just let me know if I am the only one out there who feels this way.)
Right around Thanksgiving, when the first Christmas song comes on in the elevator, I start to tense up as visions of disharmony dance in my head. Rather than anticipation, I feel apprehension. Christmas cheer becomes Christmas fear. I dread spending too much money (and boo myself for waiting till now - and not working on it all year). I agonize about what specific gifts to get each of the 13 adults and 15 children in our family. Traveling is a nightmare. My poor children are strapped to a chair for 8 - 10 - 12 hours at a time. That's abusive! But we do it... and we are expected to.
All that before we even reach our destinations! We get all out of whack. My family doesn't eat right or get enough sleep - no wonder EVERYONE is cranky! I worry that people might not get along or that one of us may offend someone. I stress my kids out because by golly, they must have perfect manners - in fact, they must be perfect. They must be seen and not heard. Let's just press pause on being a kid till we get back home, is that cool?
I am wracking my brain to summon a Christmas in the last 12 years in which no one got hurt, no one got in a fight, no one swore they would not be back next year.
Maybe things will be different this year. We can all don our gay apparrel. All will be calm, all will be bright. Bells on bobtail will ring. I will bring a dish. Everything will just be sugarplummy (that's christmas for "peachy").

1 comment:

steve and randel hambrick said...

FINALLY you bring a dish.. maybe now no discord? :)