Christmas Aftermath

by Allison Pang

This is one of those times of year I have a love-hate relationship with.

On one hand, I do tend to get fairly jaded with the commercialism of the time. (I feel that way about most holidays, I guess - being obligated to act a certain way simply because we're supposed to. And yeah, that's probably me being a bit more grinchy then I should be.) And some years are better than others - the moment just clicks and it's all Silent Nights and O Christmas Tree and there's snow and lights and it's fun.

But sometimes it's more just like feeling the holidays are a hassle. They "get in the way" of everything I have to do. (Or just pile onto the load - whether that's having to clean or cook or wrap or whatever. And shopping for the kids is both fun and sometimes hellish - if you've ever been to a Toys-R-Us in that last week before Christmas, you know what I mean. Between the lines, the overpriced toys, the extra batteries, etc, etc. - it can be a nightmare of monstrous proportions.)

And family. Great if you all get along, but not so much if you don't. (And being married to a cop - well, let's just say there's a lot of domestic disputes that get called in around the holidays. Probably more when there's snow than not, but get a bunch of family all squished in and cranky with cabin fever/mixed with alcohol == someone's getting a frying pan lobbed at their head for cooking runny eggs.)

But maybe that's really the more important thing about these moments in time. Maybe it's less about what they're "supposed" to be and more what you make of them...whatever that happens to be.

This year it was all about the Air Swimmer. (Trying to get some video footage of me flying it around.) And sure, Santa brought it, but thus far? I'm the one grinning like a mad idiot and flying it around my living room.

And yes, the irony that I'd be playing with something that I often have nightmares about isn't lost on me, but maybe there's something to that too.

** artwork was a gift from Aimo (it's Dragon Age fangirl foolishness, but I lurve it.)