I sit here at 5am on the second Thursday before Christmas. I ask myself, did I live in the moment in the previous month of Christmas activities and events, or did I survive?
There is no doubt that Christmas is the most stressful holiday ever. It’s so easy to get caught up in making memories with the “picture perfect” moments that we forget to enjoy the hot mess express we have been riding on to get that perfect memory.
Like how on the way to family pictures, you realize you have spent so much time on everyone else your hair is identical to the scarecrow you hide in the closet while bringing out the Christmas decor. So you take it back old school and do a fancy little twist, secure it with a claw clip and pull a couple of strands down in the front to make it appear to be a well-thought-out messy prom like an updo.
You spent the last month trying to decide on a color theme for the pictures. You know you can’t all match in the same green. You don’t want to look like Shrek and his family in the Christmas card. So you spent time online looking at the different coordinating colors that match but also give each kid their personality.
You take into consideration that you will never please everyone with this year’s wardrobe selection, but here we are on day two of trying on outfits, and the kids don’t have it. It’s okay. You also hate trying stuff on. That’s why your closet is full of things with tags because, like those littles, you hate to try clothes on.
Did you explode when Ms. Independence Irene said she hated the sequin dress because it was itching her skin, or did you stick to your “gentle parenting” style and offer a different solution? Ha! Oh, of course not. You are running on 4 hours of sleep and caffeine. You flew off the handle and let her know it’s your way or the highway. Now, every time you look at that family picture where independent Irene is smiling like an angel in that itchy dress, you remember the time you could have said something differently, or been calmer about the approach. Mom guilt. I get it.
What about Dad? Did you remember to thank him for wearing that extremely flamboyant Christmas shirt? You chose to buy matching ones for him and the kids, but he was the only one committed enough to wear it all day.
He wore it not because he loved how the greens and reds brought out his eyes. He wore it because he knew you spent too much time and effort picking it out. Did you thank him? Did you thank him for wearing a sweater in unseasonably hot December so that you could approve the family picture? Did you thank him for getting up on the roof in this West Texas wind and hanging Christmas lights because their glow makes you happy, or was it just expected as a “honey do”?
Christmas is a busy time of the year. I challenge you to live in the moment. Enjoy the little things. The “ here we go again” moments. The moments will only happen a few times. Eight to twelve years for all the Christmas Magic, then it’s just Christmas morning spent waiting while the teenagers sleep their lives away instead of 4 am wake-up calls to see what Santa has brought. In no time, your littles will be off to college, and you will wish for one more day filled with baking cookies, cuddling on the couch drinking hot cocoa. All while knowing there is a pile of dishes you could be doing instead.
Live in the movement. I know, super cliché to say right? The mess will wait. The elf will not always be greeted with the same excitement; you will miss these days of running around the house trying to find a spot to stick him all while you hear footsteps rounding the corner. Enjoy it.
But for heaven’s sake, keep it simple. There is a kit complete with boots and crutches for the elf who’s broken their foot in a dirty room. Michaels. Take advantage of that 10-day “rest” period and spend the $10.81. You get a break and a clean toy room well worth it.
I finish this off by saying don’t forget to thank and squeeze those preteens and teenagers who know the truth about Christmas but still keep the magic alive for the younger siblings. It’s not cool to sit with Santa, but they are doing it and smiling, so the younger siblings don’t have to do it alone. I believe they earned an extra gift for helping make your job a tiny bit more manageable. Spoil them. It’s a hard job to pretend you’re a Santa fan when you’re way too cool for that.
If you or anyone you know is looking for some VERY sassy, mildly classy advice, email me at Shawnasaveme@gmail.com Together, we can make the world a better place in the last few days of 2022.