My turn for the holidays

For the past few years, I have been in charge of Christmas for our family. My tenure actually began before my mother’s health declined. I’d like to say that it represented some sort of ceremonial “changing of the guard” or something, but, honestly, I think she just didn’t want to fool with it anymore.

It started several years ago when she told me to, “just get what the kids want, I’ll pay for it.” Don’t get me wrong, I realize I’m very lucky they are/were around and willing to do that, it’s just that part of the fun for me was seeing what they got the kids.

Then, it moved from her making the main dish for dinner and me doing sides and dessert, to me fixing everything, and, they would pay for it. Again, I know some people don’t have that, yes, I am fortunate, that’s not the point.

It’s not really that I mind the work (despite my behavior prior to the big day), it’s more what the shift symbolized to me. There’s nothing happening to me that hasn’t happened to generations before me, I know that, it’s just that I sometimes feel like I’m playing house, and, someone took all the grown-ups (do I have a theme here, or, what?).

Even though the whole thing weirds me out, I am proud to have the responsibility. This story, though, reminded me that it won’t always be my turn. Someday that will be me, and, I won’t be able to do all this I’m fortunate enough to be doing right now.