Merry Christmas

So, there I was sitting as close as possible to the room that held the commode; feeling sick and sorry. My stomach ached, my legs were as flaccid and useless as boiled spaghetti, there were black circles under my eyes, and my back felt as if someone or something had kicked me. Every once in a while a pitiful moan would escape from my food-poisoned body and the race would be on to see if I could make it to the cold, hard bathroom before disaster struck.

When all of a sudden the front door flew open and my son and granddaughter tumbled into the living room giggling as if they had just discovered Christmas.

In between groans I bravely tried to communicate that they were going to have to be the ones that decorated the house this year. They were going to have to haul the boxes out of the garage and hang the family treasures on the Christmas Tree. But they ignored my words and whispered and giggled all the more.

How cruel and unloving they seemed. Their mother/grandmother was on the verge of extinction and they were laughing! Where was the pity, the compassion, the love. How cruel! I slowly made my way to my bed and said a prayer that my stomach would let me alone long enough to crawl under the covers and bury my head.

As I lay under my covers moaning and groaning I could hear their bumping and scraping, their throwing of boxes, their howls of laughter. Then I heard the words, “Merry Christmas Charley Brown” and I knew no good was afoot.

I heard my grandson come home from his girlfriends house and yell, “What the heck is that supposed to be?” between his howls of laughter. And then I knew .....

This family that I have steeped in Christmas tradition and elegance had taken full advantage of my illness. They had blindsided me. They had gone on a search for the littlest, ugliest Christmas tree they could find. They had bought the ugliest, and tackiest decorations.

They had created a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

But I showed them a thing or two ..... I fell in love with it. They can laugh all they want. I think the poor little thing is as cute as a button.

They sold me short if they thought I was going to be shocked ... I remember the year my son taught my 2 year old grandson to belch to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Jingle Bells (belch),Jingle Bells (belch)

Jingle All the (belch)

I laughed so hard I almost knocked my back out of kilter that year. This year I fell in love/laughter with the littlest, ugliest, Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Maybe that was their intent.

May you all have a

wonderful Christmas,

Happy Holidays, Pennie