Christmas Comes Far Too Early Once A Year....

It seems that maybe those of us who complain that it comes earlier and earlier every year are actually the ones least prepared for the advent of the Advent. Only a week ago I was laughing at a news presenter describing shoppers as ‘picking up last minute gifts’. Last minute? I hadn’t even started shopping. And as I carried on about my daily business of having a full time job and looking after a toddler, dog and household I ignored the impending festivities. I say ‘impending’ I actually mean ‘rushing at me with a great big axe held aloft festooned with a bit of tinsel’.

I always imagine that this will be the year I have managed to spend a bit of time planning a Christmas. Maybe writing a menu plan? Making my own cards? Shopping for unusual gifts in the Lanes or nearby farm-shops while having time to stop for a spot of Hot Chocolate or some roasted chestnuts? Actually allowing myself to feel festive? Here we are less than a week away and I still haven’t felt a seasonal twinge.

The reality has been this: I have been attracting presents by osmosis, I see something and just grab it. No thought or time has gone into hardly anything.

Cards were bought from Tesco and I haven’t got enough. I still need some stamps and have been texting people to ask their address.

My dreams of buying beautiful, traditional, vintage, handmade, organic, thoughtful and ideal items, decorations and food has completely gone out of the window in favour of whatever any supermarket can deliver in an available slot during Christmas week.

Despite have a small child obsessed with lights our tree only went up today, it was a chore and an expense we could have done without. I’m already dreading the mess of taking it down. We’d planned to let our boy choose new decorations from our favourite garden centre.

People I wanted to catch up with for a festive drink have already packed up their stockings and retreated to far flung villages with suggestions we make it a New Year occasion?

Ho hum, or Bah-Humbug!

At least a few folks have helped me get some festivities sorted. There have been plenty of work related drinks and lunches. And I have managed to catch up with some special friends, if it takes the month of December to get my bum onto a train to make the effort to see people I care about then so be it. Of course it should be done more often and Christmas is a great excuse to finally get something arranged but our lives are so busy and pre-arranged it can be hard to make as much as an effort all year round as we want.

I’d love to have a festive drink with everyone I know, send handmade cards to my nearest and dearest, buy my loved ones something exquisite, expensive and unique but sometimes life, time, distances and finances get in the way and we have to realise that it can’t happen exactly as we would wish every year.

I’m desperate to start Christmas traditions with my son and have been talking to him about Santa and presents and trees and snowmen and lights and the love we have for him as often as I can – which means during car trips to nursery and in the bath. I’m hoping some of it goes in. Although we did manage to find half an hour today to make some paper chains!

I remember last year seeing a guy being interviewed on the news Christmas Eve lunchtime, he hadn’t bought a thing and was just heading out to brave the shops. But he seemed ok, he seemed fine, he was laughing and happy despite the presenter trying to instil the fear of God into him. Made me think, maybe the buying of things and the responding to the early adverts in October might not be all what Christmas is about. As he said (and I will always remember it) ‘ I’m looking forward to getting home and shutting the door’.

And there we have it, Christmas is not about planning a perfect day? Our lives are far from perfect and certainly don’t allow us the time to plan what we consider to be such a day. There is actually no such thing, most of us are lucky if we can just get home and ‘shut the door’. I am grateful that I have a home and a family that love me and friends that want to see me. Maybe one year I’ll earmark enough time to buy those amazing, imaginary presents and bake those cakes? Maybe I won’t ever have the time but please if you see me in October next year please feel free to hold your tinselled axe aloft to give me a nudge.

But for this year I wish all of you a very merry, relaxing and peaceful Christmas, hopefully you will all get a chance to shut your door? But if you are unable to do so then I hope someone opens theirs to you. Thanks for reading this year.

Reluctant Housewife xx

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