My daughter answered her phone before the first ring ended. “That’s a surprise,” I said. “What are you doing?”
She was having a busier day than usual and on her way out the door. She relayed a list of chores awaiting her that would choke the average horse; gingerbread-house making with the twin’s Kindergarten class… supervising her fifth grade daughter’s Junior Business League… shopping for Christmas presents for teachers… etc. etc. Oh, and the twins shared ear aches and a cough meaning a doctor’s appointment was on the horizon.
She asked what I was doing. Feeling a twinge of guilt, I answered. “Not much,” I said. “Unloaded the dishwasher, walked Mr. Magoo and filed my nails.” I didn’t add that I was having a relaxing morning, listening to the Holiday/Happenings channel on Direct TV. “Oh and I got out Christmas decorations.”
I also neglected to tell her that I’d bopped around the house to Brenda Lee’s Christmas Party Rock as I plugged in my fiberoptics Christmas tree and then sat down to read a few chapters of the latest book downloaded on my E-Reader. Didn’t seem fair to gloat.
Young parents and especially mothers—take heart. Christmases won’t always be as crazy hectic as they are now. I know. It’s hard for busy parents of young children, or teenagers (oh very definitely teenagers) to believe that the holidays will ever be relaxed and peaceful. But I’m a living proof.
There was a time when my life had not a spare millesecond from Thanksgiving until New Year’s. School Christmas programs… band concerts…Sunday School programs…holiday garb…cookie baking…tree trimming… trips to Duluth for gift buying….I get tired just writing about it.
But it happens. Slowly the activities fade away. Children grow older and disbelieve in Santa Claus. There goes one big chore. Soon they don’t want toys, but desire anything that allows them to communicate with their peers whether it be princess phones as in the old days or the latest iPhone.
As children mature, parents are released from more and more chores until suddenly, their offspring have families of their own. Sometimes they move away. Next thing you know—your holiday season is blank. It’s quiet and peaceful as your adult children now experience the same hectic pace as you once did.
There’s always a trade-off. In order to attain peaceful holidays, you have to grow old. Would I want to return to the craziness of young family parenthood? Good question, but the answer is, probably not.
I like where I am, watching the frenetic pace of my children’s holidays from my peaceful island of old age.
Leave a Reply