There’s a lot of work that goes into the Christmas season.
(Gee, Derek, are you trying to go for the championship title of Things That We Already Know and Are So Ridiculously Obvious?)
Perhaps I need to be much more specific.
What I mean is that there is a lot of work that goes into the holiday season, but it’s both similar to many people across the board, yet also unique in different ways. There are those tried and true jobs to get done ahead of Christmas, yet also the ones specific to us in personal ways.
There’s the decorating that needs to be done, that’s for sure. Heck, it’s probably number one on many lists. You have to haul the boxes up from downstairs that contain the tree and all the ornaments, and don’t forget the other boxes that contain your mother’s different displays and holiday figures that she wants to permeate the living room with. Then there are the headaches that come with putting up the Christmas tree, such as standing it in place just right and filling out gaps by branching out, well, the branches.
Don’t forget the lights! Oh man, I think they need to come up with a specific sort of headache pill that neutralizes pain brought on by Christmas light frustration. First there’s the untangling of all of them, which is 100% unavoidable no matter how much you thought you had them rolled up in a perfect circle last year. Then you need to plug them in to check which ones don’t work, and after that, you need to look for any replacement ones, and make sure they’re the right color! We can’t have any bulbs that are out place in the red/blue/green/yellow color scheme!
Then there’s the shopping that has to be done. I’m talking gifts, food, your favorite Christmas cocktail ingredients, all of it. And there’s contending with other motorists who are out doing the exact same thing you’re doing. You look at your list and get into Terminator mode. What does Mom want? What about your brother? What about this person, and that person? Will this fit? What’s the exchange policy at this store? Will this be enough food for Christmas Eve? Should I grab another box or two? Will this be enough alcohol to help me forget all these headaches to begin with?
There’s also the planning when it comes to visiting with family and friends. For example, my sisters and I have a tradition every December of getting together for a pre-holiday supper somewhere in Saskatoon. It can be a bit of a kerfluffle in itself just nailing down a date that we’re all available, but luckily that’s this coming Thursday when we’ll be enjoying the finest in German cuisine. Outside of that, I’m trying to get a date on the calendar with some other friends in the city, and then there are other immediate family members who apparently want to enjoy my company. Everyone seems to lead such busy lives, so when we can all get together, I think we’re all glad.
There are also the tasks that I have to undertake each holiday season from a professional standpoint. Each December, for example, I take a certain night of the week and dedicate myself to driving all around Outlook and snapping photos of all the incredible front yard Christmas displays, lights and decorations. There are also the daylong Santa Claus Day festivities, with a myriad of events that I always make sure gets captured with my trusty Canon. Hey, it’s hard work, but somebody’s gotta do it, right?
And when it comes right down to it, in the end, I think it’s ALL completely worth it. All of the hassle, the headaches, the traffic, the parking lot frustrations, the unpredictable weather, the burned-out bulbs, the long shopping lists, the various cooking jobs, and the inevitable clean up is all worth it in the end.
Why?
Because it’s Christmas. Really, it’s that simple.
Because there’s something so uniquely special about that feeling that comes when it’s Christmas Eve, and you’ve got a plateful of home-cooked food in front of you, and you’re all situated in the living room with a stack of Christmas movies to watch while the fireplace cracks and the Christmas tree casts a glow across the room.
In that moment, when the work has all been finished and everything has been crossed off your list, your worries just melt away and there’s nothing more important at that time than family, friends, and feeling festive.
It can be a lot of work, but at the end of it all, yes, it’s all worth it in the end.
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
