Friends

13 October 2014

CHRISTMAS IS COMING... but it's not here yet

Just made for a Christmas competition
Once upon a time, in the dim and distant past, I wrote my Christmas cards and wrapped presents early, and by early I mean round about September. It went on for several years and ended when two things happened to make me think that too early can be worse than too late.

The first thing to go wrong was the sudden death of two people to whom I had written cards. The cards were addressed to Mr and Mrs … with an appropriate happy note inside wishing them both the best Christmas they’d ever had, or words to that effect. Thank goodness I didn’t post them early! I asked myself how I would feel if I received a card at such an inappropriate and raw time. Well, looking at it at an advanced age I don’t think it would upset me too much. I think I would spent more time appreciating the kindness of the sender but I was a lot younger then and very sensitive about such things.

My second realisation was never to take things for granted or assume that life goes on as normal no matter what. I loved organising presents, from the decision making to the actual purchase, and when bought they were wrapped almost immediately. I would happily speculate about how they would be received and what people would say when they opened their parcels at Christmas, hoping they would be pleased. After that I would store then in the wardrobe in the order of post or delivery. What I didn’t know was that I would be incarcerated in hospital and unable to do anything.

It was November, the month I suffered serious burns (more about that later) and likely to be in hospital for a long time, four months to be exact. So my mother took over without asking or telling. She found the presents in the wardrobe and delivered the ones to people she knew – two months early. However, instead of asking me about the others she decided not to bother. Instead she opened the parcels and used the contents for presents of her own… to people I didn’t know. On top of that, when snow hit the UK, she pinched my brand new suede boots, bought specially to wear at Christmas, and ruined them by wading through the white stuff on a daily basis. I guess she assumed I would never walk again.

So you see, it doesn’t always pay to buy cards, presents or posh boots much earlier than the event for which they are intended.

10 comments:

  1. A good lesson for us all Valerie. That sounded like one heck of a time to put it mildly. I wish I was more organized in my Christmas Card writing and present buying. It usually ends up being one mad rush, but maybe I'd better start early this year. Maybe :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Valerie, I never thought of this that way but you're so right...

    "...it doesn’t always pay to buy cards, presents or posh boots much earlier than the event for which they are intended."

    I used to be someone who bought presents and cards early so that I would be prepared. However, as I've gotten older, I've tended to go the the opposite; waiting until the last minute and then be in a rush.

    Have a lovely Monday, dear lady!

    X to you and Joe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow - I think you're very right about everything you said. I used to do a ton of Christmas cards - don't do that anymore. I shop a little earlier for our daughter and her family as they live in Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Denise, it's always dicey picking the right time to buy. I do start early but not as early as I once did.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ron, no doubt it is the boy scout/girl guide in us that makes us want to be prepared. It just shows that it doesn't always pay to be ahead of the game.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mona, it is understandable that you have to buy early. Hope you enjoy it when you start buying this year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ha. i am a bit stressed...over the holidays and needing to get presents in time...ha....it would be a bit weird to receive a card but then too they would have to know that they were sent early....

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm still a year 'round shopper. I like to snag things as I'm inspired. And I have the closet to prove it....or did until the last 2 years happened. I'm at a record low for pickings, recovering has interfered with shopping. But it's good. What I have today to gift people with is less, but a sight more than I had when I was casted in white. Geeze stuff has long lasting affects that I never saw coming.
    I still make my cards ahead. But I don't write them out until it's time to mail them out. I've always worried about making one of those blunders you wrote of.
    And can I just say how thoughtless I found the decision making of the mom when you were going through all that? I mean, I'm sure she was doing what she could to be helpful, but geeze.....a bit of conversation with you mighta gone a long way, yaknow? Sometimes people just don't think! *hugs*

    ReplyDelete
  9. My mom was a year round shopper, but some years she would forget where she put it and would find it after christmas and deliver.

    ReplyDelete
  10. BC, that sounds familiar. I have a feeling my aunt did the same.

    ReplyDelete

If you're new to A Mixed Bag you might find something to interest you, a bit of mirth, a story or two, or some pictures. I'm so pleased you popped in, do leave a comment if you have time.