Don’t Let It Die by Dr. Juan Harrison

Somewhere beneath the piles of wrapping paper and rolls of tape I think I spied it.  We almost smothered it, but, there it was – the Spirit of Christmas.  Birthdays are fun, especially when you’re young and get special presents, but nothing compares in our American culture like Christmas.  Like a lot of our waistlines, the holiday just keeps expanding.  We began to see Christmas promotions invade Thanksgiving.  Now it’s leaking over into October.  People felt motivated due to possible supply shortages or delivery delays that they needed to get a head-start online to take advantage of Black Friday deals that now seem to almost be perpetual sales.  Heck, the Christmas movies are just about all year now.

Slap that credit card down.  Order up on the phone or computer before they tell us it’s sold out.  Looking ahead us elders wonder what it will be like in 5-10 years.  Maybe cashless before long.  Maybe no paper money as it goes the way of the checkbook at increasing number of stores and restaurants.

Still, there’s the smell, the feelings and hugs, the Facetime visits, the warmth you feel as you gather for another year to share gifts and embrace the giver.  It’s probably Grandma’s house or someone’s home designated to take over hosting duties when Granny retired or expired.  I was telling one lady in the middle of the flurry of Christmas preparation of gift selecting and food locating that she and all she does is at the heart of who we are as a family.  It’s almost like an anchor that pulls us back together to that one season of celebration that momentarily reminds us of who we are as a part of a bigger unit called a family.  Not everyone is lucky enough to get to share in the feeling of togetherness of a family, if only for a few hours.  So what if the credit cards won’t be paid off until July.

The food is overwhelming.  We always have the family favorite turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving.  The big challenge each year is to figure out the main dishes for Christmas.  You can hardly go wrong.  No matter what we fix, it’s too much.  My poor neighbor’s dog and my wife’s school mascot better go put on her bib.  In a few days she’ll be swamped with a leftover feast.

I hope we never lose it.  I hope times don’t get so hard, or money so short that we almost feel we can’t afford it.  We may almost be at that point now.  I confess I had to dip into my stash this year.  The smiles were worth it.

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