Taking the Hit

With Christmas right around the corner I'm sure there are plenty of people out there feeling like the mental list of to-do's is a little longer than there are hours in the day to accomplish it all. I realize that this is a very busy time of year for everyone whether you are a man, a woman, a mother, a grandparent, a neighbor or a friend. We all find ourselves up to our elbows in Scotch tape and wrapping paper while we try to squeeze in some time to attend a holiday party and bake some cookies for Santa.

Yes, everyone is busy. At the risk however, of sounding like a martyr, I'm going to make the following statement: Nobody takes the hit at Christmas like the mother. Nobody.

Don't misunderstand, I love it all. I love the decorating, the cooking, the shopping, the wrapping, and generally creating something totally magical for my family to enjoy. I love going to Target for the new CD of Holiday Kids' Sing-a-longs and a bag of red and green M&M's. Hanging the tinsel on the tree with my 5-year old son is a gift in itself. Indeed, Christmas is a magical time and there is much to be thankful for.

For every action, however, there is an equal and opposite reaction and all this holiday spendor doesn't come without a price. The flip side of the festive coin is all the behind the scenes labor that goes into making this magical holiday spectacular. The Christmas cards that need to be addressed and mailed, the seemlingly neverending stream of gifts that need to be wrapped and tagged, or the six thousand bottles of wine that need to be stocked and brought to every house you stumble upon in your quest for holiday cheer.

The stockings need to be hung with care, the Santa gifts need to be wrapped in different paper so the kids don't get wise, the Elf on a Shelf needs to be strategically re-positioned every night, church needs to be attended and new holiday attire purchased for you and yours to be sure everyone is looking their Christmas best. Whew. Exhale.

No, of course no man would ever think of all these things. No man would ever concern himself with any of the inane items listed above and why? Because men aren't crazy. No self-respecting man would ever ask himself if candids would be okay for the family Christmas card this year since we didn't have a chance to schedule a professional photograph. What I'm trying to say is that we women put these things on ourselves and then we punish the people around us for the stress we've manufactured. It's a crazy, vicious cycle we create of piling more responsiblity on and then feeling sorry for ourselves because the list is too long.

My Christmas gift to myself this year is to keep my spirits high so the people around me can enjoy the season too. My gift to my family is not the decorations, or the presents or the trimmings and trappings. My gift to my husband and children this Christmas is a happy mom who will take the hit with a smile and a hug. Because that's what moms do, and besides...it's Christmas.