Holiday
Bluesbuster
Helpful
Tips for the Hopeless Humbug
by
Margo Oxendine,
Contributing Writer
Margo
Oxendine
|
�Tis the season, yet again.
Are you merry? Well, sort of. And sort
of not.
I�ll bet the holidays are the same for
most adults. There is oh, so much to be done. Most of it involves
specialized work. And lots of money. This year, don�t you think a tank of
gasoline would be a great gift to receive? Why don�t we just all give each
other gas cards, and be done with it? If you want to proffer a more lavish
gift, well, how about a full tank of heating oil?
Which would you appreciate more: a)
yet another sweater, b) a
seventh bathrobe, or c) a pair of beef tenderloins and a couple gallons of
milk?
The real reason I�ve come to dread the
holidays, though, is not about money, or choosing the right gifts. It is the
empty chairs at the table.
Daddy�s seat of honor has been vacant
for 18 years now. It doesn�t seem that long. Then again, it seems like
forever. Mom�s chair has sat sadly empty for just three years. Since then,
I have not had the heart to decorate. That would entail fondling every one
of Mom�s handmade ceramic ornaments � darling little stockings and
reindeer and mice (mice?), painted in bright, gay colors; the jolly Santa
she painted for Daddy, when we didn�t know it would be his last Christmas.
How she managed to find a Santa with a pipe like Daddy�s, I don�t know;
I do know that I can�t even open the box without weeping.
Lest you become discouraged and stop
reading � who needs a downer holiday column? � allow me to reveal the
true secret of acquiring the Christmas Spirit. If thoughts of the holidays
are making you blue, here�s a solution that worked wonders for me: Stop
looking inward and moping around; get out there and
start giving.
First, I volunteered to work at the
community Thanksgiving feast. I don�t know if your hometown has one, but
many do. This is a rewarding hoot, let me tell you. Everyone who has almost
no one � and even those with someone � gathers together around a table
groaning with sumptuous homemade goodies, and shares the traditional meal.
Everyone is smiling. There is quite a lot of laughter. No one goes hungry.
Take-home plates are loaded and boxed. Flowers and cakes are wrapped for
delivery to the nursing home or shut-ins.
Then, I heard the nursing home was
seeking new things to put in a holiday shop, so residents who could no
longer brave the malls and masses might have gifts to give when family came
to visit. This was fun! While I was there, I adopted three angels from the
tree. I then had people to shop for, and the shopping was a joy! When
someone�s three greatest wishes are a warm nightgown, some soft socks, and
a book of word puzzles, well, you want to give them that, and lots more!
On a roll now, I volunteered to shop for
the Christmas Mother program. Who knew shopping could be so much fun? Who
knew the staff and managers of discount mega-stores could be so helpful and
patient and accommodating?
Finally drunk with holiday spirit, I got
home and raced to the basement to forage around for a few decorations. I had
one particular thing in mind: the foot-high lighted ceramic Christmas tree
Mom and Daddy made me about 25 years ago. That, I figured, would dress up
the place. If guests dropped by, I did not want them to think me a humbug,
now that I felt like Scrooge on Christmas morning.
I rummaged through every box, yet could
not find it. Finally, I gave up and went to run a few errands. I arrived
back home to find that my friend and housekeeper had actually bought me a
tree, put it up in the living room, and decorated it. Is that not the most
shining example of the true spirit of Christmas?
I feel it was Mom�s spirit who sent me
to the basement shortly after New Year�s on another search for something,
because there it was, right where it should have been: the ceramic Christmas
tree. I cannot wait to put it up, early, this year. I cannot wait to forage
through those boxes for decorations crafted with love. I know I�ll cry,
but I bet I�ll be laughing, too.
Happy holidays, everyone. May you have
lots more laughter than tears!