We have invented a wonderful myth about Christmas, which can be summed up in the words of a Christmas song: "It's the most wonderful time of the year."
Humbug.
Every year I believe that nonsense and every year I'm disappointed, exhausted, and ready for the whole thing to be over.
First of all, I hate shopping. I enjoy getting things for my family, and the giving of gifts, but every year I go overboard, usually because I've gotten one too many things for one of my family members, and then I have to even it up by buying another item for each of the rest of them. What was once a nice sentiment - giving gifts in imitation of the three wise men - is now another chore to be performed at the busiest time of the year - when you have no time.
And I positively despise being in stores before Christmas. The music is dreadful ("Have a holly, jolly Christmas," "Oh by gosh by golly, it's time for mistletoe and holly," "Jingle bell rock," to name just a few that grate on my nerves. ) And they are all sung by artists who are deceased. Believe me, listening to dead guys sing Christmas songs does not cheer me up one bit.
How about decorating? You can't have Christmas without decorating the whole damn house - at least that's what they tell you on HGTV, where decorators come into homes with $2000 budgets to prepare the home of some rich guy for his "annual Christmas party." Wow! Somebody rich enough to have an annual Christmas party. My husband's company cancelled their annual Christmas party - hopefully the entire company won't fold in this disastrous economy.
So back to decorating. In our house, decorating involves hunching over in the closet beneath the stairs to get at all the lighted houses, tree decor, candles, flours, garlands, santas and snowmen I have collected over the years and then finding places for everything. When your back finally recovers from bending over and lifting heavy boxes, it's time to put everything back. So this year I cut the decor in half. I put out half the snowmen, half the santas, a couple of garlands, no lighted houses, and no tree.
Then there's the uncertainty over what to do on Christmas and what family members will be here. Will my sons come down from Seattle? Will there be a mad dash to the airport an hour away the night before Christmas to pick someone up? Will we have time to visit with my family and my husband's family on Christmas day without it becoming insane? Will my grandchildren be healthy so they can come for dinner?
Speaking of health, every Christmas it seems, I get sick. I've missed a few traditional Christmas eves at my mother's house because I couldn't get out of bed. Last year I missed a family wedding three days before Christmas because I had an intestinal virus. This year I have a miserable cold which doesn't seem to want to leave. And my husband is just as sick as I am.
And finally, of course, is the Christmas feast. So many dishes, so much preparation, so much time on my feet cooking, cleaning, setting the table, washing dishes. I was so exhausted last year after preparing dinner, my son's wonderful girlfriend told me she would like to cook dinner this year. So I'm letting her. I don't care if she cooks grilled cheese sandwiches (she's not - she's a great cook) I'm going to let the younger generation take over.
In spite of the songs that promise this will be the most wonderful time of the year, I find that many people dread the coming of Christmas and are glad to see it go. This year, for the first time ever, even though I always grumble about the work involved, I wish we could just cancel Christmas.
This year Christmas marks the end of a terrible year for me, my family and the country. The economy has decimated my husband's 401K, his company is drastically downsizing because they are connected to the building industry, and money is tight. My parents are both terribly ill, my mother has leukemia and my father has a progressive degenerative neurological disease. I have spent most of this year accompanying them to doctors, labs, and hospitals. And the country has had to endure one more year of an idiot in the White House, with all the disaster he brings with him.
So this year, Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year. It's just a huge source of work to top off the most dreadful year of my life. And my guess is that all the people who have lost their jobs, their homes, their health insurance, and their health have suffered a dreadful year as well.
It goes without saying, I guess, that I am not looking forward to Christmas. I am, however, looking forward to January 20th. I know everything won't change that day, but at least January 20th doesn't involve cooking, going to the airport or decorating, and we can all watch history being made as we gleefully wave bye bye to Bush.
Now that really will be the most wonderful time of the year.
