Christmas Shopping
Just Breezin' -- Oil on Canvas: 20x24
Every year around Christmas, I get the same two messages from the media: 1) Christmas is an extremely stressful time filled with mandatory parties, social events, and the obligations of gift giving, the combination of all three elements wreaking havoc upon people's pocketbooks and psyches and 2) retail sales are down, down, down, and people just aren't buying, eating,and drinking as much as they need to in order to keep the economy afloat.
These stories of doom are always perplexing, since Christmas around our house has always been such a time of fun and mystery. Gift giving is actually a kick, as each member of the family brainstorms and reflects for weeks on the ultimate gift -- and part of the ultimate gift means that it has to fit into each person's individual and usually very small budget -- for a particular family member.
"Make a list," we instruct one another in November, and everyone makes a list which everyone else proceeds to ignore.
"Why do I do this every year?" our college student daughter demanded of my wife. "I can't think of a single, solitary time that you have ever gotten me anything off of the list I make."
"Ah, but you've enjoyed the gifts, haven't you?" my wife rejoined.
"Yes, actually, they've been very good, but doesn't the list seem purposeless if you're not going to pay attention to it at all?"
"Nope. It gives me ideas."
It is a satisfying-of-the-soul feeling to watch the assorted siblings, who throughout the year have their assorted sibling issues, happily agonize over what to get the other, and, after hours of research that result-in a final purchase, the ebulliant announcement that the perfect gift for this person has been purchased, and that the purchaser can't wait until Christmas day when the recipient of the gift will finally get to discover what he has been given.
My wife and I figure that we couldn't have messed up too badly if the giving of a gift is as exciting, or more so, than the receving of one.
On Christmas Day, the actual opening of the gifts takes a good two hours -- not because there are so may boxes to open, but because each gift must be opened individually, carefully looked over and commented upon, then passed around for everyone else to look at. Then the story of how the gift was first discovered and purchased is told, various questions answered, and any necessary trips to the kitchen for a refill of tea or breakfast casserole are made before the selection of the next gift.
I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas morning -- in a warm house with ample food, surrounded by family, sitting around ripping paper off of boxes and telling one another stories.
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