Look over there. See that woman there, the epitome of Christmas card domesticity? Her gifts are wrapped under her elegantly garlanded tree, her family is downstairs eagerly awaiting the fresh breakfast she is cooking at nine am, the house is sparkling, the stockings are opened, there are carols playing softly on the radio and she surveys yet another picture postcard Christmas. That's not me- i'm over there. No, not that woman either, the one who has the slightly less clean house, and the slightly less well behaved children slavishly munching down chocolate before breakfast. No, see instead the woman frantically plunging the bathroom sink with the toilet plunger, still dressed in her pajamas, crinkling her nose at the nasty odor wafting from the bowels of the pipes, just trying to get the sink to drain enough for her elderly aunt's use later. She is left to clean the house in preparation of the bid visit, whilst her brother and mom pick up the guest of honor. This was a hard won battle, amidst yelling and swearing, and, admittedly, a complete emotional breakdown on the part of the would be plumber, but the house now quiet save for the sploosh and splash of the water, the cats, and the dog. The presents are as of yet unwrapped. This woman is me, and i recognize that probably more women are this woman on Christmas day than the first. See, the emotional breakdown was largely due to the fact that i had spent weeks trying to get things ready in advance, off and on, so that i wouldn't feel rushed and stressed. i was trying for a postcard Christmas, not perfect mind you, but nice and stress free. Then i overslept, and didn't get up and get things done as planned. This left me behind, stressed, and guilty. Anyone who knows me well, knows that guilt is one of my chief emotions, and it is probably all of these emotions rolled up which sparked the emotional explosion. Yes, i think at least one wall was punched.
Here's the thing, though, which is what i was considering as i plunged the sink. (It cleared, thank and praise God! (for all!)!) There are probably so many women like me that morning, upset because they didn't create the perfect Christmas for their family, that lost sight of what Christmas is all about! Christmas is about Jesus's gift, God's gift, the birth of a holy Baby, and salvation eternal. All of the trappings. the trees, tinsel, and family time, are blessings of God, and i'm very grateful for them! When we obsess, however, over them to the point that we aren't enjoying ourselves because we are trying so hard to achieve that certain level of holiday beauty which will allow us to enjoy ourselves, well, we're kind of missing the boat.
God showed me this over a plunger. Praise Him!
By the way, that Christmas turned out to be wonderful! By the time they all arrived, the house was clean enough, the sink drained, and everyone was in a better mood. We ate the annual brunch, washed dishes, visited with a visiting widower mom knows, ate tofurkey, watched the parade from Disney with a wide eyed aunt, and overall thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thank God, praise God for all!!!!!
