I'd like to be able to say that Christmas is the happiest time of year for me, but the simple fact is that it's not. Unfortunately, it involves a perfect storm of several things that together make "the most wonderful time of the year" something quite less:
1. It's dark--the days are short.
2. It's cold--the snow is here and more is on the way.
3. It's overcommercialized--and so I must find a way to please the most important people in my life with various objects, always wondering if they are the right objects.
4. It's expensive--and I'm both poor and cheap.
5. It's illogical--the birth story has never made any sense to me. (Virgin mother indeed!) And it brings out some of the most nonsensical beliefs I have ever encountered.
6. It's a focal point for every family issue and old squabble. And it reminds many of better times and lost loved ones.
7. It's bound to be disappointing--because expectations are so darn high.
When Christmas is over, I invariably heave a big sigh of relief. No more trudging through crowded malls! No more 24/7 Christmas music on a couple of my normal radio stations! No more worry about "doing it wrong"! And no more reminders of how our lives fall short of the ideal. It's not that I'm a depressed person by nature--indeed, most of my water glasses at home are half-full. But Christmas is like a stress test on an icy treadmill. I'd rather take a leisurely walk around the lake on a warm spring afternoon.
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