The Best Plans

I was entering into this Holiday season preparing to pull out all the stops with baking, decorating, and trying to spread joy and peace as far and as often as I could. Honestly, I started doing research and organizing lists of things I wanted to accomplished and everything that I would need to make it so. Of course we all know what happened in October, I had my left had reconstructed after several years of intense pain. With just a week to go, I've got to face the facts and give up. I did the best I could, but my plans were huge and I just couldn't get a break when I needed one. In the end:

• There won't be a super special Christmas card like last year before Christmas for everyone.
• My plans for baking treats to share with everyone have been greatly reduced, possibly to two, maybe three things
• I didn't get the garage organized and as a result couldn't find all of our Christmas stuff that was packed away for the move that never happened.
• I am ashamed of my outdoor decorations. They are just sad.
• My special gift packages that I wanted to give to my loved ones didn't happen, and I really wanted to get those done and distributed.
• I have misplaced my Hardrock, Cocoa, and Joe DVD, and depending on how well you know me, you know this one hurts.
• The interior decorations didn't happen either, at least not to the extent I wanted them.
• My special gift for my wife didn't work out again.
• I haven't gotten pictures of the triplets yet in the snow, with or without snowmen.
• I have always wanted a Christmas train to go around my tree or something significant, and this was going to be the year it happened, but that too was derailed.

On the bright side of things, and yes there is positively a bright side to all this, I now have 53 weeks and one more after Christmas Special to get my act together for next year! I am stoked about that, I really am. I don't care if I have to channel my inner Martha Stewart, bond with our kitchen-aide mixer, and get attacked by the Bumpus' dogs, I will have things planned, organized, and completed next year well in advance.

The cool thing about this year is that I've had the chance to spend time with people that are steadily becoming very good and important friends to Meva and I, and we also were able to meet some fantastic people that are very interesting and fun to be around and who show the potential to become good friends also.

Did I mention I also got to eat some baked brie cheese with cranberry jelly? A law should be passed making that a mandatory part of all meals during this time of the year.

And did I mention my children? They won't get even half of it, but they're going to experience opening presents ) and potentially trying to eat the wrapping paper. But of all the things they won't get or can't yet appreciate, the three kids, Meva, and I will all sit down and read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, just as Meva and I have done for the last 7 years. In fact last year Meva and I sat on the floor of the nursery with flashlights at 3am and read it to our 3 sleeping newborns.

I speak only for myself, but that is the spirit of the holiday for me. This simple tradition has become the essence of Christmas for me as I slowly impart it to my children, in the hopes that they do the same with their children. At the risk of sounding morbid, when I die, this will be image I take with me into the beyond.