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Covaan_Meshuga -> RE: Christmas, 2008 (8/26/2008 10:53:21 AM)
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Oh, I hated Christmas. I was one of those parents who wanted so desperately to give, give, give to my children, to make them happy, while the holiday put me in a frump from November through December. I wasn't smart enough to see that the children would have been happier with far less and a mother who wasn't nervous, worried, fretting, and unhappy.
So I would start buying things in November and hiding them here and there around the house. All the time, I would warn the children, "It's going to be bad this year -- I just don't have the money. I'm sorry." And every year, they would say, "But Mom, you said that last year, and we got so much stuff!" But I could not see the truth in what they were saying.
Then I remarried, and my new husband had a rule of no more than $50 for each child for gifts. I was stunned. I was used to spending $300 - $400, and I was widowed! This was what the children were used to! But I did it. I wasn't happy, but I did it. It didn't even seem to make any difference to them. But I hated Christmas all the more. Hated that time.
Now that I don't do Christmas anymore, and now that I am older, I can look back and see the errors of my ways. The stress, the fear, that was connected with what was supposed to be a joyous holiday, and I was not alone in that -- although I felt alone. Two months of misery with bells and flashing lights in my face to remind me 24/7. The only good thing about Christmas was when it was over. Wow, how negative.
So now, I don't do any of it. All I really put up with is the bad traffic, nutty drivers, and rude shoppers, but one can just figure out a way to avoid much of that -- in November, do all the grocery shopping in the morning, and if there is other shopping to be done, do it in the morning, too. People aren't as terrorized by their "Gotta Do" lists at that time. Then avoid shopping in December if you can. Just go to work and come home. Good night, things get bad here in December.
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