Merry Christmas -- Bah Humbug! | ê¿êspi20.com -- putting it all into perspective

Merry Christmas — Bah Humbug

Posted By ê¿ê on December 21st, 2008

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The older I get the more Christmas seems to be a chore rather than a celebration of love.

I used to look forward to Christmas pretty much all year. I would keep my eye out for things I thought my family and friends would like and buy them along — I usually had quite a bit of shopping done well before Christmas and only had to get last minute things as a rule.

This year especially has been very hard to get into the spirit as we’ve lost our two oldest dogs in the past two weeks, I’m still dealing with the puppy with the broken leg and he and I both are going stir crazy from his lengthy confinement. Then my best friend lost her oldest dog Wednesday — said dog being one I bred and brought into this world.

I need some digital signage in the house that scrolls “’tis the season” or some motivational messages so I can get in the spirit.

I did the last of the Christmas shopping today and wrapped the gifts. They are all ready to go into the UPS truck tomorrow — thank goodness they don’t have far to go! I also finally addressed and mailed my Christmas cards — maybe they will make it by Christmas Eve. None of them had too far to go either.

We listened to the radio on the way to Greenville this morning and they were playing an old radio show from the 1950’s — Father Knows Best — do you remember the t.v. show? Robert Young and Jane Wyatt. Anyway, the show was a Christmas show where Jim wanted to have a traditional Christmas. They were on their way somewhere when they got stranded in a blizzard. They trekked through the storm to an old country store run by two elderly people. The couple made the family at home and they talked about Christmas traditions and the couple shared some of their traditions with the Anderson family.The kids asked if the old couple had any children of their own and the couple replied that yes, they had two children who were both grown and moved away. They asked why the couple didn’t have any decorations up and the couple replied that it just didn’t seem worth the trouble without children around to enjoy it.

That got the kids scheming to make Christmas for the kindly couple. Bud, the teenaged boy went out and cut a tree, brought it into the store and the three kids decorated it with the couple’s ornaments. They re-tagged some of the gifts they had in the car with the couples’ names and then called the adults in to see their efforts. Of course the older couple was deeply touched (and Ken and I both shed a tear or two ourselves). Then Kathy — the youngest girl sang “Away In A Manger” for them. It was sweet and lovely.

I guess Ken and I are in the same situation the older couple found themselves in. Our children are grown and gone and now have families of their own. It just doesn’t seem worth the time to decorate and so on for just us — Christmas just isn’t the same without children around to be excited, wondering and learning all about giving and receiving.

Although it will be after Christmas, we’re going to see our granddaughter dance in the Nutcracker Suite again this year. The ballet is the day after Christmas, but maybe being around the kids will get me in the spirit at least for a short while.

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