Christmas Time is Here!

I sat down with the intent of deep-diving into the origins of Christmas like I did for Halloween and forgot to do for Thanksgiving. Sorry, Turkey Day. No offense meant. I stopped myself because when I got thinking about it, I wouldn’t be talking about Christmas. Well, I would be, but not in the way it matters.

Countless Christmas specials focus on the meaning of Christmas. The answer to that quest is always a personal revelation. Movies aren’t real life obviously, but they do hit right on the head there. How many people do you know that celebrate Christmas the exact same way? Family members excluded, of course. Odds are you don’t know any. Similarities in celebration traditions abound, but there is always something that differentiates one from another.

So, let’s not dust off the history books here. Instead, I’m going to spend a little time on one of my Christmas memories. Well, this was a Christmas Eve thing, not Christmas, but close enough.

On the night before Christmas, all the creatures were stirring. Let’s not think about mice. In my case, I got dolled up in my Christmas outfit and was picked up by my Uncle. This was a Christmas edition of Nicole being Uncle Paul’s sidekick. We would head over to my Aunt’s house to deliver presents and a large basket of my Mom’s baked goods. We’d stay for a chat before popping over to see one of my Uncle’s friends and sometimes employer for another drink and a chat.

At the time, I was usually of two minds when it came to this jaunt. I was both excited and not so enthusiastic. The almost guarantee of presents will make any kid giddy. Being the only kid in the room is a tricky spot to be in, though. There is a particular attention factor that’s appealing. But then there’s also the reality of having to either keep up with an adult conversation or find some way of amusing yourself until you’re included.

I think Uncle Paul knew that just never addressed it directly. On the way back to my parents’ house, he’d take the long way back. We rode along the back roads, Christmas tunes playing on the radio, scoping out every house that was decorated. It was our Christmas Eve light contest. We would name a winner by the time we reached my parents’ house. This was what I looked forward to. Just Uncle Paul and I tittering away in the car.

This Christmas Eve errand was probably, in part, a ruse to get me out of the house for at least an hour so presents could be wrapped and stored without having to go through too much rigamarole. There was never a hint of Santa’s wrapping factory by the time we got back. In a time without cellphones, this type of coordination is difficult to imagine. I don’t recall Uncle Paul ever calling back to the house, letting them know our flight plan.

This tradition continued well past the time when my parents would need to make excuses to get me out of the house. And beyond the time when I needed to be picked up at all. We kept it going even after I had moved out of my parents’ house even. I’d leave work after the Christmas party, skipping drinks with coworkers, to get to my parents’ house in time for Uncle Paul to swing by and get me. We were partners in crime on other days and nights of the year. On Christmas Eve, we were partners in merrymaking.

What we had to deliver wasn’t a back seat full of expensive gifts. Most of the time, the backseat wasn’t even full. And more often than not, the packages were a majority of homemade gifts. All the same, I know they were appreciated and enjoyed. But what was in the backseat of Uncle Paul’s car wasn’t all we had to offer. The Grinch teaches us the holiday isn’t all about packages, boxes, and bags. Christmas would come with or without a pile of presents. The trips we took together meant time away from parties, revelry, and nagging to open presents. We chose to spend that time on family instead.

Earlier, I said I didn’t always enjoy the time given to this endeavor. Looking back on it, I’d like to call my past self a bit of a jerk. Except, the value in moments like this one is beyond what a kid could process. Being mostly an adult now, I’d give my left and right hands to get one more ride on Christmas Eve in my Uncle’s car. It was one of those things I was voluntold to do, like dozens of other things. A seemingly mundane task.

A task that taught me that time and how you spend it matters.

I end up forgetting that lesson from time to time. In fact, I was having a moment like that just the other night. I think that this time of year breeds that kind of forgetfulness. I’ve been talking in terms of Christmas because that’s the holiday I celebrate. Still, I’d guess that Hanukkah and Kwanzaa preparations can frazzle people just as much as Christmas does.

Funny, isn’t it? A time dedicated to celebrating and being thankful and present in all you have ends up fraying you from every angle. I cannot describe to you how high the frustration level was the other night, driving around in semi-frozen to all frozen slush. Trudging through barely plowed parking lots. Not to mention nearly getting backed over by someone. They had decided clearing off the rear window of their SUV is optional. And using side mirrors is a fruitless endeavor. Oh, and the screen in the middle of their dash is a TV playing a really boring movie. All of that for errand after errand trying to advance Christmas shopping.

I gave up.

Instead, Adam and I went out to dinner. Adam fired up the Kitchen Aid mixer when we got home. I wrapped a few presents we were going to be dropping off to my parents the next day. Then, I put together a platter of cookies for a work luncheon. By the time I was done, the cookies were batched into trays and headed off to be baked. We tackled finishing the cookies together before collapsing into bed. The kitchen had been destroyed for the third consecutive night.

But, cookies would be ready to share with our coworkers in the morning. Our baking escapade didn’t get our remaining shopping done. We’d probably have to do some double time shopping on the weekend. So what? Cookies in the office at around three o’clock are lifesavers. I think we can all agree on that. And I can’t think of any better way to spend my time.

[Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Merry Festivus] Nerd Girls, and to all and to all a good night!