Christmas Reflection – Guest Blog

By Roseanne Griffiths (My Best Friend)

My birthday is the week before Christmas.  It never occurred to me, until now, what an extra burden that may have been on my parents.  Christmas is pretty expensive, and my sweet parents, I know, didn’t have much extra to spend on gifts for three children AND now a birthday…and food, and the electric bill which was surely way higher considering the care my dad took in decorating our house inside and out.  Now, as a parent of three kids also, I get it.  And I’m humbled, and frankly brought to tears at the thought of our lovely Christmas’ where I didn’t have a care in the world.  But surely they worried and worried about how and when they could buy gifts.
Remember that Sears catalog?  Well, my brother and I used to pour over it!  Circling all the things we wanted!  Handing it over to my parents telling them we’ve covered all our requests for Santa.  My poor Dad.  He was Santa alright!  I only can hope that if I knew then, what I know now, I may not have circled so many things in that catalog.  I’m hoping that I may have somehow, at the age of 8, realized that this would be a stress for my dear parents.  I do recall, only once, hearing my parents discuss my birthday present.  My mom was telling my dad that I really wanted the Barbie Airplane, because you know, my Barbies were gonna have the best job EVER!  They were going to be flight attendants!!  It was a big gift, it was $19.99.  My dad said he only had $9.00 until Friday…which was going to be after my birthday.  So, I remember getting that catalog back and searching it for $9 items.  Then telling my mom that I changed my mind, I didn’t really want the airplane, I wanted some accessories for my Barbie makeup doll instead.  I’d like to think I was an amazing kid for taking that burden off my mom and dad, but honestly, it was  more likely that I just wanted to make sure I got a gift.  And I’m sure I picked out something for $8.99, because why would I even consider that my dad might need a few extra dollars in his pocket for something like gas? It’s crazy to remember, but I was never disappointed Christmas morning.  I got the Airplane that year, my Barbies did become flight attendants after all!  I don’t know how they did it. As a parent now, I’m not always sure how I’m going to do it!  Maybe this is all part of Christmas, where we parents just trust…and pray a lot, that it’ll all get done and we may have to shop at the last minute as we wait for that final paycheck so we can finish buying what’s on their list.  Maybe when we struggle a little, the appreciation is bigger, and that’s the gift!  I really don’t know, but I do know this time of year I find myself saying “oh Lord” a lot, and deeply meaning it.  Not in sarcasm, but prayer.  So, off to get that expensive XBox, now that I just got paid…off to find a Nutrabullet…and a spiral ham…and tempurpedic pillow…and on and on.  I wish I could say , yeah, my Christmas shopping has been done for awhile.  But I, like my dear parents, had to wait till I could afford to get it done.  And for many of us, it’s very close to the deadline!  But, Oh Lord, somehow, it always happens and no one is disappointed.