savor the season
To fully relish the holiday season, we sought out the biggest tree that we could find. Our new Christmas tree is 15 feet tall, and the little star on top almost scrapes the ceiling of my vaulted living room. It is the biggest possible tree that could fit in the space. There are so many lights on the tree, you can get a tan sitting near it. When my brother asked why we got such a gigantic tree, I explained to him that my goal was to have a tree so magnificent, people would come into my house, look up, and actually crap their pants. It was then that I realized that I’d gotten a little bit away from the meaning of the season this year.
Sometimes we get so swept up in the details that we miss the real deal. We become bogged down with To Do lists, only rarely pausing to savor time with friends and family. Instead of enjoying the opportunity to buy gifts for our loved ones, most people I know speak of Christmas shopping with the exact same lack of zeal as getting their driver’s licenses renewed. “Man, the lines are gonna suck at the mall tomorrow. (Sigh) I guess I’ll try to get there early. I should have done this a month ago.”
For kids, the looming Christmas Day fills their every thought. You know you’re getting old when you find yourself more excited about Christmas being a day off work and getting a good nap in than the presents you’re getting that day. This is because as you get older, the amount of gift loot you take home decreases dramatically. When you’re five years old, for instance, they have to build another wing onto your house to have a place to stick all the presents. At my age, I’ll probably get a fifth crockpot and a pack of socks that don’t match any others that I have. When you’re 60, you get a mug from the Dollar Store with a picture of Santa Claus on it.
By the way, on that subject, I’m against giving anything specifically related to Christmas as a Christmas gift. “Oh thanks, a lovely ornament… Too bad this is going in a box tomorrow for eleven months. Here, I bought you a 2008 calendar, I hope you enjoy it next year.”
So get out there, live it up, and enjoy the heck out of this holiday season. And bring extra pants if you come over to my house.