Wearing the (Red) Pants

There are countless things about being a parent that make the title tough. Life and its routine shift through the addition of tasks, reduction of sleep, escalated levels of anxiety and disappearance of time and space for just me.

Parenthood also has an uncanny effect on your understanding of Christmas. You can no longer be a passive believer that the magic of the holiday will effortlessly descend upon your house; rather, the seasonal sparkle suddenly falls on you. Joining the ranks of parenthood inherently means joining Santa's posse of elves: going undercover, knowing his secrets, and doing his ground work throughout December to deliver Christmas' promise to your kids.

I received my calling last year. Santa tapped me to put on his red pants and make Christmas merry for Mary. But with a nine month old, it was easy. Arguably, elfdom remained reasonably stress-free this year too as Mary was just learning what the hullabaloo was about.  But nonetheless, to create a believer, you have to go all out from the start.

From the Mass. And the ticket that admitted you and your family.  

To the tree(s).

And each of the shiny ornaments decorating it. 

From the meals and the hours of cooking, baking, and table making that define them.  

To the sweet treats on the rim of your saucer.

From the presents, wrapped in shiny paper.

To their hiding places.

From the guests who came from far and near. 

To the music that serenaded them.

From the costumes. 

To the staged photos that are supposed to document 48 hours of Christmas celebration ... The ones that I kept forgetting to take because I was so mesmerized by the animated expressions glowing from my little girl's face all week long. 

Staging Christmas for your family is exhausting - more work than I ever really understood growing up. And I can see how it will just keep getting more difficult as that magic is enhanced year by year. But if you're lucky, you'll have a helper. Or two, or three. One elf to pull the sled, a couple more cheering, and another elf who's always ready to capture the memory of an amazing Christmas, gone too fast. 

 

Lo.