Crossing Halloween off the calendar of ‘firsts’ didn’t feel like a big deal, Halloween hasn’t been an major event in our house for years. It’s a cute holiday, I will give it that, kids love it – costumes, free candy, late bed times – what’s not to love? But I didn’t feel like I had to survive the Halloween, I wasn’t worrying about it. It came and went and we crossed it off the list.
I didn’t realize that putting Halloween to bed would leave me to face what’s coming next. It hadn’t dawned on me the pumpkins were guarding the door, that they were standing like bright orange sentries keeping a monster at bay.
I woke up yesterday morning to a new month and a dull and drizzling day; the pumpkins were swimming in puddles, the colorful pile of leaves in the front yard had deflated into a soggy mess and the ominous footsteps of the biggest challenge of all could be heard echoing in the distance. Christmas is coming….
Christmas is more than a holiday, it’s a season. As soon as those pumpkins are hucked into the compost bin some eager beaver will brave the weather and put up their Christmas lights, Starbucks will roll out the red cups and stores will pipe in carols. ‘The most wonderful time of the year… the hap-happiest season of all’ will start whittling my heart and I’m afraid.
I’d like to cancel Christmas this year – I’d like to Scrooge it up, Grinch it – but I can’t. I have grandchildren to spoil and an example to set – I have to pull out my turkey-dinner pants and make a plan for survival.
Yesterday I put my head under the covers and pretended I didn’t hear those footsteps, but now I have to start building my defenses. That monster grows stronger every year, it has no plans to back down. It has been infiltrating the stores since August, my neighbors will probably succumb on the weekend, soggy pumpkins be damned. I will eventually have to get with the program or get the hell out of Dodge. But not today – today I have a bowl of chocolate bars that requires attention and some brave little pumpkins still guarding the door – denial is mine for the moment, I will acknowledge the program tomorrow.
Comments (1)
I wanted desperately to cancel every Christmas after my dad passed for about 5 years…worst time of the year for me. I’m sorry you and your family are going through this. I’ve just learned of another family close by who lost the dad – kids are 6 and 10…I know what that mum faces, the struggles those kids will have…but I also know age doesn’t change hurt…that’s for anyone who loses someone at any time in life. I’m sorry so many have to put on a brace face for the little ones but they also help get you through it…I know my own does.