Editor’s Voice—November 2016—Holidays
November 02, 2016
Posted By: Shaunescy
Written by LEIGH RIPLEY
Just as Clark Griswold marinated in delusions of perfection, I find myself conjuring Norman Rockwell as Thanksgiving approaches. Now, has the Ripley family had its share of idyllic moments over the years? Oh, a few. But, for the most part, there is usually some sort of disaster. Such as:
» Cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner with a colicky baby strapped to my belly.
» Checking on the turkey only to discover that the oven is stone cold because it broke. (Thank goodness for neighbors willing to share theirs and toaster ovens.)
» Setting the Thanksgiving dinner table on fire. (My aunt actually did this!) After a few too many, she decided she was hot, removed her scarf and threw it on the table, directly onto the lit candles, where it burst into flames.
» A particularly violent bout of the stomach flu making its way through every family member.
» Extended family.
» Clueless extended family who continually ask where you bought things that were CLEARLY crafted in the North Pole by Santa and his elves.
» Uninvited friends with nowhere to go.
» Stretching Christmas over two days because a toddler is sick and keeps falling asleep while opening gifts.
» Battling Christmas lights on the 15-foot tree my husband insists on erecting in our living room every year.
» Fifteen-foot tree falling and almost killing my dad.
» Re-wrapping presents because, in the middle of the night, the kitten played his version of WWF, featuring himself as Edward Scissorhands.
» Calling the fire department because a family of raccoons had nested in the chimney, clogging the flue and filling the living room with smoke.
This year, I vow to have different, somewhat lower expectations.
» I will be grateful if everyone is semi-healthy.
» I will be grateful if at least half the lights are working on the tree and the reinforcements nailed into our wall hold.
» I will be grateful for our extended family and try to find humor in all of their inappropriate comments and over-imbibing...rephrase, I will just be grateful for our extended family.
» I will be grateful if my teenager is able to separate herself from her phone for a few hours.
» I will be grateful if said teenager is able to look the rest of us in eye and not send laser beams of death our way.
» I will be grateful that I still have little ones who believe in the magic of the season and think everything I do for the holidays is nothing short of perfection.
