Be Careful With Your Christmas Wishes

I'm the original Christmas Grinch.  Every year I grumble about how much work Christmas is, and often suggest we just forget the whole thing.  As the family matriarch, I feel the responsibility to make everyone else's Christmas merry and bright falls squarely on my shoulders.

Each year I send cards, do the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the baking, the cooking, the entertaining and the cleaning, both before and after the big event. It's often overwhelming.

It doesn't help that everyone on my Christmas list is male.  I can't go out and find guys some pretty, or frivolous thing they would never buy for themselves, but would be delighted to find under the tree.  That only works for females.  Guys are much harder to buy for.  If they do want, or need something, they will often go out and buy it themselves, even if it's just a week or two before Christmas. No wonder I cry "Bah Humbug" and wish to cancel Christmas most years.

This year I have a bad knee.  I've seen the doctor a couple of times, had the knee x-rayed, rested it, iced it and elevated it, but it continues to get worse.  It has effectively immobilized me at the busiest time of the year.  I have not been able to shop, bake, clean or decorate.  You would think my wish to cancel Christmas has finally been granted. The thing is, I have young grandchildren who will be here for Christmas this year....not just for presents and a meal, but overnight when Santa is supposed to visit.  I am going to have to depend on their Dad and Grandpa to buy things that will thrill them and make their Christmas happy.  I have been removed from the process and am feeling rather helpless.

Amazingly, not being able to do all the things I normally complain about is certainly not lessening the stress of Christmas for me.  This year there is nothing I want more than to be able to perform my usual duties and try to make the holiday special for everyone.  Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for. As they say, Christmas will come, ready or not. I do hope it will miraculously be a merry one for everybody.  In the future I will try very hard never to grumble about Christmas again and always remember the year I got my wish not to have to be bothered with it.