Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it: the music, the reason behind the season, the houses lit up with a million twinkling lights, the trees and decorations, even the shopping makes me happy. Yes, I enjoy being at the mall, soaking up the sights and sounds: the bell ringers, the piped in Christmas carols.
Starting the day after Thanksgiving, I usually try to immerse myself in all things Christmas. No, I’m not a crazy Black Friday shopper, but I try to get in the groove of the holiday. I love to spend time just watching our mall Santa – who happens to look EXACTLY like Santa Claus, without a fake beard or tummy – as he speaks gently to children eager to share their Christmas wishes. So tranquil and peaceful.
This year, something has happened to my peace and tranquility – and I want to know where it went! Apparently the Mayans messed with the dates on our December calendar and Christmas is suddenly upon us, sneaking up sort of stealth-like so we wouldn’t see it coming. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. It can’t possibly be that I miscalculated all that needed to be done and the time needed to complete it. Nor would I have misread the calendar, right?
Between work and family and work and shopping and work and social obligations, my happy holiday mood is more like “hurry, hurry, hurry”. Did I mention that work is getting in the way? Hard to be upset with this, since it wasn’t too long ago when Hubby and I were both unemployed for the holidays.
In an attempt to bring holiday peace to my life, I decided to start the day at my favorite local coffee spot. I even planned to get up early so I could leisurely read the paper while sipping coffee, and still make it to the office on time. The alarm went off as planned, however my brain decided not to participate in the early wake-up call, convincing my hand instead to hit the snooze button at least 4 times. Luckily we have a four-legged alarm clock who wants her breakfast early, so my brain was forced to engage. Yay, I thought to myself – my peaceful coffee plan will work!
I hurriedly got ready and made it to the shop – it was so peaceful, with Christmas carols softly playing in the background. Things were going so smoothly that I patted myself on the back. As I drove towards the office, even the traffic didn’t bother me in my peaceful holiday state. Suddenly it occurred to me that I wasn’t wearing my glasses – problem is that I was halfway to work. Knowing that my arrival time was in jeopardy, I now had to safely yet swiftly backtrack for my glasses. Arriving at the shop I rushed in and looked around – no glasses to be seen. The shopkeeper looked at me oddly as I asked him if he had seen my glasses – surely I didn’t leave the house without them, did I? It was then I realized that I was already wearing my glasses. ON MY EYES. Not even on top of my head, which would at least have been a bit less humiliating.
Embarrassed, I continued on to work. As I settled into my desk, I looked for my big red mug that I carry daily, filled with ice. I’m a huge fan of staying hydrated, and without an ice machine at work my mug is a necessity, in my opinion. Retracing my steps, it was not in the break room, nor the conference room or any of the offices. I even looked out the window at my car in the lot to see if the mug was, by chance, perched on top of my car. You know that mugs like to ride on the roof sometimes. Panicked – yes, ice is very important to me – I began asking co-workers if they’d seen my mug. In a desperate attempt I headed for the elevator, to be greeted by another co-worker who found my mug – by the mailbox on the ground floor. Not sure why it was there since I didn’t mail anything. At least I don’t think I mailed anything, or did I?
Snickers were all around as I walked sheepishly to my office, wearing my glasses and cradling my mug. That’s it, I thought to myself. I’ve gone around the bend, off the ledge, whatever you want to call it as long as you don’t say it’s “because I’m getting older”. I’m not older, I’m just stressed for the holidays. It’s those Mayans, I tell you.
Just in case, I’m going to stop by the mall tonight and find Santa. I need to sit on his knee and listen to his calm voice while I ask him to please help me find my brain. That’s all I want for Christmas.
Like Tami, I was terminated once (By my best friend, BTW – he is now on the board of the agency I lead, so I got him back – ha!), but you don’t have to be unemployed to learn something from this book. 
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