Boo Christmas! Boo!!
Just kidding! Although, I’m finding myself much moodier than I expected this season. Maybe it’s because we haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet, and I’m feeling an overwhelming desire to enjoy only one holiday at a time, please. This year has zipped by fast enough without skipping Thanksgiving. No need to speed through what’s left. Of course, our friend Greg would argue that it just means Key West is closer, but let’s have some semblance of order.
I don’t remember having turkey and dressing yet. Or James’s parents visiting. And our Christmas tree isn’t up. All of this leaves me with a sense that something is amiss. Like everyone went trick-or-treating, and the next morning…BOOM!! It’s Christmas!!
Let’s slow down a bit, people.
Surely, I’m not the only one who feels this way or thinks Christmas has made an early appearance. And I’m not counting the store displays or the endless Hallmark movies (yes, I’ve seen more than my share). I think we’ve all come to expect that most retailers will have all the holiday stuff on the shelves before Halloween. James and I even start making cookies around this time. (Recipe #1 is already complete.)
However, the more I drive around, the more I’m convinced I’ve somehow completely missed Thanksgiving, and that’s unsettling.
Now, I do take some enjoyment in seeing Christmas lights going up on houses. I’m not a total Scrooge. There’s something nice about it, and the houses with trees completely wrapped in lights leave me in awe. One year, we drove through one of the more bougie neighborhoods in Dallas, and every house had their trees wrapped. Very much a winter wonderland.
But it’s still 70 degrees outside, which also adds to the oddness. In my head, if the Christmas season is here, the air should be crisp. Shopping for gifts while still wearing shorts just feels wrong. I’ve done it – because, after all, it is Texas – but being warm while schlepping packages to and from the car feels less special. Thanks to Amazon, though, I’m less worried about that than I used to be.
Or maybe I’m just moodier because that’s been the vibe of the year. A very hectic first seven months, followed by election season and a disappointing election, has undoubtedly influenced how I’m feeling. Slowing down and taking the holidays one at a time would add some calm. At least, I think so. (And please let me believe that lie a bit longer.)
Yet, as I write this, I’m starting to think that going all-in on Christmas may be the way to get rid of this funk. I do have new Christmas LEGO sets that need assembling. And the Hallmark Christmas movies have been playing quite a bit on our TV. Putting up lights, our Christmas wreath, and getting out the tree are just a stone’s throw away.
Nor am I above making some mulled wine to enjoy while doing all of the above. Sure, I might not remember Thanksgiving, but at least I could enjoy some Christmas cheer.
