...to bring you this missive, delivered to my inbox last night by my Christmas-stressed sister. It happens every year.
"Dear Santa,
I would like a teeny-tiny, rustic log cabin far away up north, nestled amongst the pine & cedar trees. All would be blanketed with white crisp untouched snow, the dark skies glowing with stars at night and a warm crackling fire. We would hunker down for Christmas and spend our days skating on the pond, sledding down the hills, making snowmen, angels and forts.
There would be no reindeer on the lawn made of metal and lightbulbs, no inflatable, hydro-sucking snowglobes & Santas. No overheated shopping malls filled with cranky people and the same junk over and over. No questionable mall Santas with terrified-looking children.
There would be but one gift exchanged on Christmas morn. One simple gift. No need to hold on to gift receipts for exchanges; no batteries required, no assembly needed. Christmas would be about: family. snow. pancake breakfasts. snowball fights and that ONE special gift. A girl can dream...and sigh..
My reality: Kyle asking for the most mundane, inane, out of date, impossible to find, #%*!. [edited for language] i.e. Godzilla movie circa 1998, the Popeye movie w/Robin Williams. I'm trying really hard to be a good mom/Santa and find those movies; I dig and dig the bargain bins here and across the border. I call 4 Blockbusters. Nope. So wouldn't you know it, I see them on Kijiji; some guy in Stoney Creek is selling them, all battered and beaten up but at least my kid will have Popeye. Nanoo Nanooo."
Oh dear. Now I happen to think an 8-year old boy asking for an obscure and unfunny Robin Williams' movie is hilarious and a fine addition to the Christmas list. Hunting it down secondhand on Kijiiji is all part of the fun I say. But it's not just my sister feeling out of sorts. Canada AM did a thing on holiday stress this morning - apparently it peaks exactly two weeks before the 25th. Let me check my stress-o-meter. Frankly I find all this talk about holiday stress pretty stressful. It makes me start to wonder if I'm supposed to feel stressed. I feel my usual state of half-doneness. A half decorated house. Half the cookies baked (the other half eaten already.) Half the presents accounted for. Half the holiday cards written up; none yet mailed. But stressed about Christmas? Nah. I've got bigger problems. Yet I can't sit here all smug and disorganized and smirk at my sister's Yuletide angst. I really must help this girl find her Christmas spirit. But how? A log cabin in the woods, while a lovely idea, is out of reach. Inviting her over to bake cookies seems a tad self-serving. Hmmm. I'll have to give this some thought as I try to locate a pair Spiderman roller skates - the sole item on Stella's list - without actually having to step foot in a store.
4 comments:
While you're hunting down Spiderman rollerskates, let me know if you see a BLUE Care Bear, which seems to be the big item on my 4 year old son's list this year!!Green? Yes. Pink? Yes. 25th Anniversary White and Silver? Yes. Blue? Nope!!
And I agree with the half-baked (ahem) but not-too-worried-about-it Christmas spirit...I am in that zone myself. I have much to do but I think I'll pop a few homemade sausage rolls in the toaster oven, eat a gingerbread cookie, and wait for noon to have a rum and eggnog instead! We're taking our kids to the Christmas Train in Stanley Park tonight, so, really, all is well in their world, and therefore, in mine!!
All is well in their world. Well said Bonnie, well said!
I love that letter! I too want that kind of christmas!
Questionable Santas in department stores mess with Adele's little head too. No matter how we duck and weave there is always one leering our way with boiled lolly in hand. Very odd behaviour all round.
x
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