See if you can guess who this is referring to. Hint: If you know me, it shouldn't be hard. :)
THE CHRISTMAS LADY
In August, maybe September
the ideas begin to
insert themselves into her head.
October and the shopping begins.
The ideas continue to expand.
She sees something
at an art fair and
impulsively buys it.
Something she knows her
daughter-in-law will love.
Maybe a pair of earrings
for her best friend.
Thanksgiving
serves as a marker.
In a day or two
the CD player is loaded with
only Christmas songs.
Lights are strung outside.
The tree goes up.
Ornaments collected over forty years
are carefully placed.
Each one a memory.
Some were gifts or
brought home from school
by her children.
Some purchased by her,
some made by her.
The ideas continue.
The list of what she has
purchased for who expands.
Early December and the
shopping is nearly complete
by logical standards.
But for her it’s rarely complete
before December 24th.
The list needs re-checking,
the ideas won’t stay linear.
Four more things pop up
that one son would love.
Now she needs to pare
down that number
or find four more ideas
for her other sons.
Not because they count
or keep track.
But because she does.
They are each loved equally.
Their gifts must reflect that.
Finally- -or already- -
it’s December 24th,
the day they celebrate Christmas.
No more time to
indulge her passion
for choosing gifts for those she loves.
Her children arrive with their gifts,
the tree begins to disappear
behind stacks of bright packages.
First dinner, jokes, horseplay.
Finally it’s time for the gifts.
Each person taking turns opening
one so all can enjoy the process.
The evening ends and
Christmas is almost over.
When they were small it
continued on Christmas morning
with gifts from Santa.
And because she is reluctant
to let Christmas go for another year
she has continued the tradition.
Christmas morning finds one gift
for each under the tree from Santa
with bulging stockings on the mantle.
Now it’s really over.
All that remains
is the clean up.
Piles of wrapping paper to the trash.
Boxes to be put away.
Kitchen to clean up.
The tree comes down
for it is a symbol
of anticipation.
Anticipation that will lie dormant
until August, maybe September.
In August, maybe September
the ideas begin to
insert themselves into her head.
October and the shopping begins.
The ideas continue to expand.
She sees something
at an art fair and
impulsively buys it.
Something she knows her
daughter-in-law will love.
Maybe a pair of earrings
for her best friend.
Thanksgiving
serves as a marker.
In a day or two
the CD player is loaded with
only Christmas songs.
Lights are strung outside.
The tree goes up.
Ornaments collected over forty years
are carefully placed.
Each one a memory.
Some were gifts or
brought home from school
by her children.
Some purchased by her,
some made by her.
The ideas continue.
The list of what she has
purchased for who expands.
Early December and the
shopping is nearly complete
by logical standards.
But for her it’s rarely complete
before December 24th.
The list needs re-checking,
the ideas won’t stay linear.
Four more things pop up
that one son would love.
Now she needs to pare
down that number
or find four more ideas
for her other sons.
Not because they count
or keep track.
But because she does.
They are each loved equally.
Their gifts must reflect that.
Finally- -or already- -
it’s December 24th,
the day they celebrate Christmas.
No more time to
indulge her passion
for choosing gifts for those she loves.
Her children arrive with their gifts,
the tree begins to disappear
behind stacks of bright packages.
First dinner, jokes, horseplay.
Finally it’s time for the gifts.
Each person taking turns opening
one so all can enjoy the process.
The evening ends and
Christmas is almost over.
When they were small it
continued on Christmas morning
with gifts from Santa.
And because she is reluctant
to let Christmas go for another year
she has continued the tradition.
Christmas morning finds one gift
for each under the tree from Santa
with bulging stockings on the mantle.
Now it’s really over.
All that remains
is the clean up.
Piles of wrapping paper to the trash.
Boxes to be put away.
Kitchen to clean up.
The tree comes down
for it is a symbol
of anticipation.
Anticipation that will lie dormant
until August, maybe September.
