There is a commercial running right now
with a group of children, all in PJ's with headlamps on their heads,
crowded on a couch waiting for Santa. One of the kids – a little
girl with chubby cheeks and curly hair – squeezes her arms close to
her chest like she might just explode. In my head I can hear the tiny
escape of breath – a high pitched EEEEEEEeeeeee – as she waits.
I can hear that sound because that
little girl is me. At some point during every holiday season since I
can remember I have struck that pose. It is as if the Holiday Spirit
has possessed me and the only way to exorcise it is that high pitched
EEEEEeeeeeeee!
The catalyst might be anything:
The long ride to Grandma's after church
for the first round of gifts and food (the ride was a whopping
fifteen minutes), the year Santa brought the Olympic Barbie with
real-live-action foot joints allowing her to skate and do cartwheels
all while wearing wiglets from her accessory pack; later it was
delight in our first tree as a married couple and then the excitement
of seeing our son actually hover off the ground the year Santa
brought him a fireman coat and a workbench.
This year the trigger was different.
Thanks to some sadly busy work shifts, horrific news stories and
incompetent Mayan day-planners I have been obsessing about 'the end of
the world'. In the literal sense it is a mute point. Planet blows up,
game over. But in the more personal interpretation...suffice it to
say, I have lost a little sleep of late. I fretted over our kids
travel plans, counting the hours until I got the text: "I'm home
:)" Four cars in the driveway and my world was safe for another
day.
And with that tiny bit of crazy put to
bed, my excitement was free to begin ramping up: holiday
shopping-complete, groceries - put away, my husband - stewing about
the rambunctiously wrapped, unidentifiable gift with his name on it,
poorly hidden in the family room – set the timer. The anticipation
of Christmas Eve dinner with my folks and the thrill of hearing from
my brother and his family who live half a world away - winding the
springs. And finally, last night as our grown children ate and
laughed and joked with their also grown cousins in one of our
favorite hangouts that excitement ticked its last tick...
And I was once again that little girl
on the couch in my Pjs, squeezing myself so tightly I might explode.
(and thankfully, it was so noisy in no one could hear the
EEEEEEEeeeeee!!)
Here's to YOU and your own exploding
moment, from me on the Coast of Illinois. Have a safe and precious
Holiday, whatever Holiday you celebrate and may Your World be safe
for every single day.
Me and Santa on the Floor Zamboni - because this is how awesome my World is! |
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