Truths: Santa is coming to town – THIS week!

AAhh, here we are: Monday. The actual week of Christmas. A few months ago it seemed so far away. We couldn’t imagine buying gifts yet, or envisioning the “beautiful” snow… No, thoughts of sugarplums danced far from our heads. (and, we were grateful!)

But here we are… some of us are still freaking out about gifts we have to buy… and there are some of us, I won’t mention names, who have come to the gut wrenching realization that they never hit: “confirm order” when they were surfing the web for the absolutely only gift their child wanted for Christmas… And, now, of course, that item is completely sold-out and on backorder until waaaay after Christmas.

There are also those poor sacks paying top dollar for that crazy little hamster who at the store only costs less that $10… but their grandchildren wanted a white one so they are bribing store managers with $20’s and $50’s to get it.

Even I fell into the trap… my daughter wanted one of those Aero bears that came “free” with a $100 purchase. (I am not sure how we justify that paying $100 makes the bear FREE…) Anyway, it was the one thing she told my parents to get her.

My mom, of course, waited until the last moment and found out that not one store in southern Florida had any left. So, she, too, “bribed” the store manager. But, as of Friday she had heard nothing.

So, I, diligently, searched the web and turned to eBay… And, found one for $15 plus $5 shipping. I didn’t even have to bid – I could, “buy now,” as they put it. So, I did.

Only to call my mom and hear that the store manager came through and found her one. Though she did have to buy a $100 gift card!

My dear friend in search of the gift she ill- fatedly overlooked NOT buying also turned to eBay and found luck on her side.

I have been there – paying ungodly amounts of money in shipping just to make sure that the gift comes in time to make Christmas morning magical.

Now, I am not going to even pretend to preach that none of this is what Christmas is about – because that is stating the obvious… However, as a society, Christmas has also become a very material holiday making rather normal, realistic people CRAZED shoppers in dire need of getting the “IT” gift for their loved ones.

It becomes a race, a treasure hunt – a defining moment of who we are and how much we love our kids. No, it is not the right thing but it the real thing.

When in reality, most of our kids have forgotten what they even asked for. And often, after running a near marathon to get the “IT” gift, our children open it Christmas morning and barely smile and move on to the next gift: the one we gave no thought to and they are ecstatic. Go figure!

This year, besides the Aero bear, my daughter did not have any of the “it” toys or items on her list.
I never got that rush…
Instead, I ordered her gifts a month ago and all of them are sitting under the tree wrapped and ready.

I am content but I have to say that there is some sick satisfaction that comes from nearly killing yourself to get that gift and proving that you are the best parent ever!

I mean how will she ever know I am the greatest mom of all if that “IT” gift isn’t under the tree – the one she “always wanted” and could “never live without?”

Am I supposed to hope that my unconditional love and my unending support will carry me through? The safety of my arms and my daily encouragement of her will make a difference in her life?

That “IT” gift sure seems more like a shoe in!!