Day 13, Turkeys in Christmas Land

Aw, thank God. One of the “old reliables” has shown up behind the counter. Thought I’d have to wait another 10-20 minutes for my coffee. Today, I’m thankful for the employees at places like this bookstore who make it feel as cozy as walking into a local pub. But with books!

As I sit here in the local bookstore coffeeshop, there’s some big band Christmas music playing, and we are truly in the middle of holiday decorating. It’s not even Thanksgiving. I want to add, there’s nothing wrong with the stores being full of Christmas stuff right now and them playing the music. It takes time to prepare for the holiday. Some people like to do their shopping early and music definitely helps get into the spirit of things. But even before now, I was saying “It’s not even Labor Day.” “It’s not even October.” “It’s not even Halloween.”

Once we leave the long golden stretch of summer, the year speeds up until, like hapless bunnies on a black diamond trail, we’re slaloming past the rest of the year.

Veterans’ Day.

Holiday Bazaar season.

Thanksgiving.

Advent.

Holiday Bazaars, part 2.

Christmas cookies.

Holiday parties.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Boom! Next thing you know, it’s Ne
w Year’s and everyone is hanging out with the chips and dip, waiting for the ball to drop.

This is why I’m all about Thanksgiving. The year will go too fast, and so will the next one, until one day Mr. Moosh will no longer a little boy. We will lose people, and some of them he might barely remember. So it is, and so it has been. Every holiday season is a gift. Some are big- someone gets engaged, or everyone is doing well and no one’s been sick. Some are quieter and bittersweet with loss and uncertainty. All of them go by too fast once they’re gone and we have just the memories.

Thanksgiving, though… I think giving the holiday its proper due is a good way to pump the brakes and slow down before the whole thing is over. In a couple of weeks we’ll go to visit our family, eat some delicious turkey and trimmings. I hope we get to do something fun in the AM like a turkey trot or even just play old school video games and watch something fun like “Babes in Toyland”. It’ll be great. The day after is Black Tea Friday and we’ll drink tea, read books and enjoy some leftovers. And in doing all this I hope to impart to my son that getting the most out of the holidays doesn’t necessarily mean rushing straight to the end. It’s okay to pause (even if to some people it looks like you’re dawdling) and be a turkey in Christmas land.