Yawning in the Holidays

I don’t know whether to make this a humor column today or remain serious. From where I sit the Holidays bring no great joy. It appears those days are gone.

Several years ago I was appalled when my parents told me they were not decorating their home for the Holidays. They said it was just too much trouble, work and bother. There were little things they could do like decorating a table top with festive candles and sparkly dried flowers. Maybe a Christmas card or two and a ribbon bow! 

That seemed a bit drab to me at the time. But now a few decades later I understand where they were coming from. In fact I’m there as well. We gave away our fake Christmas tree last year and all the ornaments. We have a mechanical Santa that plays music and waves a Coke bottle to a mostly empty room.  Whoopee. How unexciting!

Cold weather, a bit of snow (now mostly gone – blown into the next country) and suddenly the Halloween decorations are removed and Christmas décor is abundant. The drug store has carols playing and sales displays of Xmas themes abound. Egad!

Thanksgiving approaches quickly. The family is scattered but near. So we have decided to gather for an hour or so and share some hor dourves and chat. Then we take off to our several destinations, all family ones but now more extended.

This is a good development and inevitable. Families age, grow and become more diverse. This is a good thing and enriching. It does pull old bonds askew logistically but only in that mien; the emotional bonds remain solid.

Now we go to new family attractions and bonds. That is healthy. And Thanksgiving is celebrated and shared among a much wider audience. And the food! Let’s not forget the food.

With Thanksgiving addressed Christmas and New Year’s are just around the corner. In the old days it was all about family and young children. Today it is mostly about adults and much more subdued. There are still children involved, even new ones! But the toll of time creates its own agenda, too. And it will not be denied.

At the time my parents decided not to celebrate the Holidays very much, they were living in an elder community. It is easy to understand how that affected their perception of the festivities and toned down their activity.

We now live in an apartment. Our neighbors are of diverse ages with young children. Many of our neighbors, however, are retired, and we relate! Then too we have medical issues being attended to – eye surgery next week, three MRIs at the end of the week, spinal diagnoses await and treatment to follow. Meanwhile the existing ailments of age remain and their attention demanded.  So Holidays compete for time in busy schedules.

At the end of the season we will wonder how we did all of this without being retired. Now I’m beginning to understand the need for the golden years!

November 21, 2014