Get Ready...

As Christmas Day approaches I am reminded of a game that I used to play when I was little.  I walked to school with a friend of mine (and her brother) from Grade Primary to Grade Four. I was dropped off at her house in the morning and then my mom would pick me up on her way home from work.  On snow days we would spend the days together, and a snow day must was the game we made up called "Get Ready for Fred Penner".  (For those of you who didn't grow up in Canada in the '80s, everyday on the CBC, starting at 10:00, Fred Penner came on, followed by Mr. Dressup and then Sesame Street. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we also saw Under the Umbrella Tree between Fred Penner and Mr. Dressup.  It was a great line up.)

Anyway, our game involved "getting ready" for 10:00 when Fred Penner came on.  Since I usually got dropped off around 8:00, we had just under two hours.  We would "shop" for food, clothes, books, etc. in the playroom, and then set up a place to watch our shows, usually with a doll or stuffed animal (or Ninja Turtle!) to watch with us.  We ran around like crazy making sure we had everything ready for our show.  I recall an underlying sense of panic that we would never get it all done before the shows started, but of course we always did.

Why am I reminiscing about this game today?  Because the Christmas preparations sort of remind me of that.  We are shopping for food, drinks, presents, and then wrapping those gifts, preparing the food, cleaning the house, and still finding some fun Christmas things to do with E.  Sure I'm tired, sure there is a slight sense of panic, but I love it.  It's part of the fun of this holiday season, just like "Get Ready for Fred Penner" was part of our snow day traditions. 

Also when I think back to the first Christmas, think of the panic that Joseph and Mary probably felt.  Not only did they have to reach Bethlehem for the census, they were also expecting a baby!  And then they couldn't find a place to stay, panic central!  They may not have had everything turn out perfectly, as is the case for many of our own preparations, but it all worked out. 

 

Maybe we sometimes take on too much, but as long as you're still enjoying yourself and take a quiet moment for yourself every once in awhile, then I think it's okay to be busy, rushing around in a bit of a panic.  When the sun rises on Christmas Day, we will have made it, and our preparation, our anticipation, will all be worth it.