It is equally a labyrinthine task to find someone, anyone, who isn't over-stressed, run down and complaining about this "wonderful time of the year".Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish the Herculean task of buying the perfect gift for every acquaintance, co-worker, friend and family member by the deadline December 25th or sooner depending on when one celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ collectively!!??
In a time when Christmas carols, eggnog, the smell of the cold and pine needles should reign supreme, we're busy in on line at Target at 3:00 in the morning mapping out our strategy and game plan to rip that new flat screen from the hands of the guy who got on line five minutes before we did.
What happened to the sheer excitement of it all? The counting down the eternally long month of December on our little cardboard Advent calendars?? What happened to all of the parties and the fun of it?? Are we all just that broke that Christmas has become as insurmountable as a jaunt up Mt. Kilimanjaro?
I just want to smell the homey scent of pine needles and caramel corn and have all day to sit around in my pajamas making lists and writing Christmas cards, yet somehow I've managed year after year to turn it into an alarm clock-setting, up at dawn, plan of attack, have-to, nightmare.
Next year I'm starting in September.
For now I'll remember the real reason for the season, as they say, and realize that having too many wonderful friends and family and the ability to even buy presents is a wonderful problem to have!!Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and a very happy and, most importantly, healthy, new year!
~ Kate
