For those that can’t stand this time of the year, my misery seeks company. What does it for you?
For me: aside from the usual family stuff:
I worked front-end in a post office back when that meant a line-up before I opened the doors to the end of the day when I had to inform the line-up that was still out the door that, yes, I was going to close on time. (Some didn’t take that well. For me it was just another Tuesday…)
It meant a lot of work with little thanks and I had to listen to the same shitty Xmas playlist over and over all day.
Edit/PS: The quick downvote sells it. Perfection. chefs kiss
This was a tough year for us financially, so nearly everything for Christmas had to go on a credit card.
All through November and December, I had to choose between adding more to the debt or disappointing the kids. Logically, I know the right answer is “Don’t spend more than you can afford” but I think any decent dad would agree that “Merry Christmas kids! Nobody gets anything they wanted because I’m a failure at providing for my family!” has to be pretty close to the bottom of acceptable options.
My wife always imagines a Norman Rockwell Christmas, and has big plans for what she’ll cook and what games we’ll play and how she’ll decorate. She does a great job every time, but it’s a lot. She stresses over being able to do it all, and any inevitable mishaps are catastrophic.
This year, I’m trying not to be a Scrooge, but it’s a challenge.
It’s all humbug!