Here’s how I’m staying sane at Christmas.
Made my peace with last-minute-ness. The deadline is Christmas morning, is it not? If you complete non-family jobs in advance of a deadline you miss critical trends. Shouldn’t the same apply to holidays?
Called my sisters. Oh, my brother has kept me sane on many occasions, but it’s been to do with the big 3 – job, marriage, child-rearing. Sisterly expertise extends to stuff and etiquette. (If I wanted to talk stuff with my brother it’d be gadgets, and if I wanted to talk etiquette, well, he’s a psychoanalyst and he believes in truth.)
Retired.
Seriously. Last year, in the thick of work, I made every single purchase online. Two years ago we returned from Hawaii, decided we needed Christmas anyway, and bought a tree on Christmas Eve. This made a great story to retell, but yikes. It’s been a pleasure this year to take my time with preparations. To wit.
No forcing tradition down anyone’s throats. Take the tree. We bought ours a week ago. I strung the lights myself, because everyone else hates the task. I always wind up doing most of the work anyway, mad at the people who are just sitting on the sofa. And I still haven’t hung any ornaments. I’ll probably do a few, then leave the good ones for my 10-year old niece to hang Christmas Eve. Because she thinks it’s fun.
I’m decorating one piece of greenery at a time. Bought the wreath at one place, garland another. Like a random walk down Christmas street.
If I forget to pick up green tissue paper when I go to the hardware store for an outdoor extension cord, no big deal. I can do it another day. So much less under-the-breath cursing.
I got paper at Paper Source (fancy! tasteful!) and gift tags at Costco (gaudy! ironic!). I have time to envision, and enjoy all the wrapping. (Although a tradition of Christmas Eve backaches from hunching over a floor covered in wrapping paper can be sweet in remembrance.)
So here’s a thought. I know the Europeans swear by August “en vacances,” but in America might we prefer 30 days from mid-December to mid-January?
Just imagine a leisurely Christmas. The entire nation cursing less.
Those who don’t celebrate the holiday could focus on New Year’s Eve. More parties! Public kissing! Sequins!
Those who celebrate neither Christmas nor the western New Year could still use a winter month off to frolic in snow, or warm up in Florida, Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean. Month-long vacations take away the pressure for perfect; we can tolerate a little bad weather or the occasional family snit.
But I suppose, in the America of almost-2014, we’re probably not headed towards more institutionalized vacation. Drat. So how about this? To all of you organizing Christmas for a family, especially while working at a not-family job, I raise a joyous huzzah. With jingle bell chorus, eggnog, and someone else to string your lights. This might also help – Paper Source has hedgehog goods.
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