Seeing Past the pre-Christmas Chaos

It's Saturday. Christmas Day is Tuesday. I'm not ready. Of course I'm not. I was barely able to handle the run-up to that special day of celebrating the Christ child, family time and gifting when I only had two kids. But now I've got four more to think about — six total — ranging in age from seven to thirty-three!

Just keeping track of everything is a challenge. Gift giving alone is a major challenge. Some are easy to buy for. But there are several who are mysteries. In one case, I generally know what he might want, but he typically already has it by the time I find out he's interested! In the case of the other, I have no blessed idea what on earth to get him. But when I inquire directly, "What would you like for Christmas?" I get the monosyllabic mumble of the Millennial. He looks up from his computer screen, with something that roughly approximates "I don't know." Okaaayyyy ....

So I awoke this morning, trying hard to remember just who I had something for and whose gift was still sitting on a shelf in a store somewhere. I've got gifts in bags in my car, on the end of my bed, and at my girlfriend's house. Yeah, I know, I could have made a list. In the flurry of all the activity, I could have called a halt and insisted I be allowed to sit and be rational for a few minutes and organize myself and write things down. But Christmas Chaos prevailed.

Then there's scheduling. There are three family units who expect to see me at some time on or near the Big Day. The chances of those three family units scheduling things at different times — no conflicts? The odds makers in Las Vegas wouldn't give you much there. So the very best you can hope for is putting in appearances as you can, handing out hugs and gifts, and setting priorities, hoping you don't step on too many toes in the process.

It is my great, good fortune that Someone Else, whose brain tends more to a motherly sort of natural organization, has assured me that I'm not nearly in as big a fix as I've imagined. Yes, there's still much to do. Still don't know what to get my Millennial, for example. Clueless, in fact. But I've been told it will (somehow) all work out. I'm just going to believe that. I see with the eyes of faith. I know I've made it through the chaos in years past. So ... onward!