For the first time in as many years as I can remember, my family will be pretty fragmented on Christmas Day.
I don’t mean we’ve had some sort of mafia falling out or we’re a bunch of horcruxes – it’s just that some of us will be in different countries on 25 Dec. On the one hand, it’s going to be strange, not having all of us around the dining table. On the other, boy, does it make Christmas shopping a breeze!
Of course, we’ve sent stuff for the children, but as far as we adults are concerned, we’ve realised the greatest gift we can give each other is to cancel the obligation of spending money, lining up on the roads/in the shops/at the banks, and hours of wrapping awkwardly-shaped items while trying not to rip the paper.
Let’s be clear: I’m not one of those who goes on about how commercialised the season has become, etc. I like a nice present as well as the next person, and when there’s a big group of us together, it’s also great to open things and watch others excited about what we’ve bought them. But too many times in the past I’ve left things until the last minute, and the whole gift-buying process becomes a chore. It gets to the stage where I can either drive around for hours on end, trying to find the perfect bauble that fits my budget, or I blow a wad of cash on something way over-the-top because it’s easier and faster to locate expensive nice things.
“Yes, I was going to get you that particular book you wanted, but I went with a diamond bracelet instead. Merry Christmas!” [Prepares to eat ramen noodles for the next six months.]
How many times do people warn young couples about committing to an expensive wedding, where they’ll start their marriage heavily in debt? The same can be said about starting the new year still paying off credit cards from the month before. No bueno.
It’s great that we’ve all agreed to a frugal season this year, but that’s easy because I’m not a parent. When we were kids, Mum and Dad had four of us to buy for. We were also living on this small island where there were no malls or Targets or Walmarts, so getting specific wish-list items could sometimes be a challenge. Thank goodness for places like Fantastique (upstairs Comart, in George Town), Merren’s home store (where Bay Town Plaza is now) and Uncle Bill’s – they were staple shops back in the day.
The only time I’ve ever been an early-morning person was when I was under the age of 10. On Christmas Day, my siblings and I would be up before the sun rose, banging down our parents’ door. No wonder somebody invented coffee. I know they must have been exhausted, but Mum and Dad always loved watching us opening our gifts from Santa. I never had children in my life plan (or whatever phrasing people use these days), but Christmas has to be one of the highlights of having kids. Luckily, I’m an aunt, so I got to be part of all of the great moments and none of the sleepless nights or poopy diapers.
I never thought I’d reach the age where I didn’t mind about a lack of gift-giving, but then I also thought my face would remain wrinkle-free until I was 90, and that I’d be wearing miniskirts into my 70s. Surprise, surprise! I’m not saying this will be the new normal – in fact, I doubt it will be. Maybe we’ll just call it a break for 2023. And hey, I won’t be breaking the rules if bestie Lynne gets some bottles of wine from Jolly Old Saint Nick, or multiple friends are graced with the AMAZING Italian chocolate bars from The Tasting Room that are as thick as my upper arm and so hefty, they could double as a weapon; I just don’t want to be throwing money at something out of sheer obligation. Know what I mean?
It sounds selfish, but I tell you, it’s hard to argue the point when I’m sitting with my feet up, watching TV, hacking off a chunk of chocolate with a machete, while everyone on Facebook wonders if Cayman’s drivers have lost their collective minds and “are some of the roads closed?”
“Why is the traffic so terrible?”
“It took me two hours to get from Cost-U-Less to the Westin!”
Santa, stick a bow on me – I’m done.
Related Videos
