I hate Christmas. Excpet for the lights, the cocktails, and the sweets, I hate Christmas.
I hate the shopping. I hate the traffic. I hate the 60 different versions of 12 Christmas songs that you hear over and over and over. I hate the lines at the store. I hate trying to buy gifts, usually for people who don't really need or want anything. I hate the stupid little parties. They all have a "bring an ornamnet to exchange" or "bring a gift to exchange." This means I have to spend time and money I don't really have, shop for a gift I don't really want to buy, and then exchange it for a gift I don't really want to get.
FABULOUS.
Then, once (if) you get all the "gifts" purchased (it will take months to actually pay for them all), then you have to WRAP them. In sparkly wrapping paper with shiny bows and color-coordinated gift tags.
Then there are the charitable endeavors. Don't get me wrong - I am superbly fortunate, and I am all for helping others out. But the guilt is sometimes overwhelming. Food drive? OK - cans of food. Check. Book drive? Box of books. Check. Angel Tree kids, ages 6 and 8. Check. Salvation Army bell ringers. Dump all your change. Check. (Of course the bell ringer at the next store is going to glare at you for walking past, having no way of knowing that you just dumped $40 worth of change into someone else's bucket.)
And oh yes - the Christmas Cards. You have to make a card with a cute photo. Then you have to send it out to everyone on the planet. There are always people you don't send to but that send to you, so you have to make an additional order.
And it's all supposed to be so MEANINGFUL. You have to take your kids to see Santa, becuase they obviously will be scarred for life if you don't. And the lights - you have to go drive and see the cool lights. And church - this is the time of year to definitely go to church (even though I'm not 100% sure there is a God, or at least a good one, but that is a WHOLE 'NOTHER STORY...)
Then you have to have your family in and cook a gorgeous meal, make everyone feel happy and welcome. Keep them all occupied like the happy hostess.
It just all sucks. If I didn't have kids, I would forfeit Christmas all together. Now I know you all are saying "Awww - no you wouldn't. You're just having a bad day." But if I didn't have kids, I would be on a cruise ship somewhere for 2 weeks. If you skipped Christmas, you'd have enough money to pay for it.
That's one of the main reasons why I want to buy a Time Share in Mexico. In about 4 years, the whole "S" thing will be a memory for my kids. When that happens, we will be spending every single Christmas in Mexico.
I hate Christmas too because my dad is gone. My dad didn't like Christmas much either, even though he didn't do most of the work. The fact remains that I just don't like it as much with him not here. The last Christmas I spent with him, he was really sick. He also chose Christmas Day to tell me that he was getting tired of fighting the good fight. That was also the first - and only - time he said "Love you, son." to Bart. (yipee - now I'm crying...) He died less than 2 months later. It was always me and him out in our front yard, hanging up an obscene number of ridiculously tacky lights. Bart doesn't let me do tacky, but I try to compensate with sheer volume. I almost fell over today when I saw a guy who looked a lot like him in the Toys R Us today. Jeans, Guy Harvey t-shirt, baseball cap.
My point is Christmas is never the same once a hole like that is left in your life.
I know a few people who are dealing with that right now, and then some. Any other time of the year would be miserable enough, but becuase it's "the holidays" it's so much worse. A friend who lost her sister. A Dad in the hospital. Two kids without a mommy this Christmas. The CiCi's pizza manager I work with through the PTA who has a tiny daughter just diagnosed with leukemia.
If we all stopped buying gifts and gave that money to cancer research, or medical research, or a Children's hospital...would that make any difference?
To me, Christmas has turned into a stress-filled, obligatory, merchadise-filled nightmare that I have to endure once a year. It's painful on many levels. I hate it.
I suppose I'll feel better on Christmas morning, watching my beautiful healthy kids have a ball. I like to sit out on the lanai and look at the Christmas lights reflecting off the pool. I like to go to Rawls Road and immerse myself in the ridiculously gigantic lights diplay. (www.rawlsroad.com)
But overall? I hate Christmas.
