December 8, 2002

Welcome to Wyndspirit Dreams! Saturday I went shopping. At the mall. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon before Christmas. I expected bedlam.

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised. The mall was crammed, of course, but the customers were courteous and cheerful and the cashiers were smiling and helpful. Nobody seemed stressed out, and strangers chatted happily with each other. But maybe it was just me. I went to the mall to soak up the Christmas spirit, not to do any serious shopping. When a little tyke was underfoot, instead of becoming annoyed, I noticed how her father gently shepherded her to the side of the aisle. When an older child started throwing a tantrum that a two-year-old would be proud of, I admired her mother for promptly heading back out the door without doing a bit of shopping. It didn’t even bother me when a crowd of people blocked the aisle in Target while they stood around visiting. I could have been irritated at the person who parked over the yellow line, causing me to have to wiggle out of a too-tight parking spot. Instead, I noticed that, of the line of cars waiting for me, not one person started blowing their horn.

I like being in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Christmas rush. I like looking at all the Christmas lights and decorations in the stores. I like hearing the Christmas music. I like listening to the other customers plan their gift buying. I like listening to children endlessly adding to their list for Santa. I like listening to their parents explaining to them why Santa might not be able to bring them a big-ticket item they have their heart set on. I like to check out the holiday decorations and imagine how I’d decorate my home if it weren’t so much work. I like to just wander around and savor the excitement.

So many people dread the holiday rush. I love it, and I am not normally the kind of person to place herself in the middle of shopping madness. The thing is, when I was a kid, I lived for Christmas. At school we had all our Christmas projects and the Christmas program building excitement all month. At home, my siblings and I threw ourselves into making decorations, and even sometimes put on our own little Christmas program for Mom and Dad. Now that I’m grown up, I have to find my own way to absorb the Christmas spirit. I like to hit the stores, as many times as possible between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love it. I always see the fun and excitement, never the rudeness of other customers, the long lines, and the whiny children that others complain about.

It helps when I have most of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving.
 
 

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meadowlark@wyndspirit.com

Wyndspirit Dreams