Saturday, December 24, 2011

Last Minute Gift Idea


People who use the expression, "I work best under pressure" are lying. This was an expression invented by dads who waited until December 24th to do their Christmas shopping.

Maybe you've seen them before. Darting around the stores looking like panicked meth addicts, grabbing every remaining tattered box on the shelves and either tossing it in their carts or back on the shelf and rushing to the next tattered box.

Because who DOESN'T need to step out for just a minute on Christmas Eve and get a shiatsu back massager, Golden Girl's Edition Monopoly and 25 pound bucket of spackle?

There's no more "Black Friday" rudeness between shoppers at this point, just a mutual desperation. If these dads ever do bump carts or meet eyes, there is just that moment of shared sympathy and shame.

I, on the other hand, just work best under pressure.

I also had this entire week off before Christmas to get this shopping done, so of course my body thought it would be best to start day one off for this whole week with being sick as a dog. (I've never seen a dog with a cold, so I don't know why we say that.)

So, that is my excuse for spending the last precious shopping days on a forty seven episode 30 Rock marathon on Netflix. (You think I'm joking.)

I suppose this is the point where I turn it all around and say something poignant about the true meaning of blah blah blah, like Linus. Fine.

We aren't necessarily the brightest creatures on the planet at times. I will double check with Wikipedia, but I believe we're allowed to be thankful for things on other holidays than just Thanksgiving.

Most of us so easily take for granted the most valuable things we have that could never be bought in a store. No, I probably won't try to use that as my "the reason I didn't get you presents" speech again this year.

I cannot help but think about quite a few people I care about who just this last year lost friends and family and won't be spending another Christmas with them.

Regardless of what awesome sales you hit or missed this year, make sure to give a couple things that will never break or go out of style and are gifts that are supposed to be returned.

Give a call, email or visit. Give a hug, kiss and an "I love you" to the most valuable things in your life, gifts that God gave to you.

We don't have to set aside one day a year to give those things, either. Or wait until the last minute.