MERRY DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS! (Happy Boxing Day!) Traditions must start somewhere – so for those of you lucky enough to have remained on my contact list (and not sent me one of those “unsubscribe” e-mails yet) you receive this: Laura’s first day-after-Christmas letter! I was just reminded by a dear friend that it is also Boxing Day, the oft-forgotten Commonwealth holiday of celebration and glee. Awesome – what better excuse to enjoy the following food for thought. It’s boxing day – READ!
Does it seem like time moves faster each year? I think someone should check on that. Christmas feels less like “Christmas” each year as I hastily become immersed in a culture where my bank account seems to decrease instead of increase as it used to. Now I don’t just “get” 3 weeks off for "break." For those of you still in school, soak it up while you still can. But for those of you encountering the golden handcuffs of corporate benefits, you, like I, have found yourself in this year’s unlucky situation where Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Day fall on weekends, which you barely get off anyway. Byeeeeee Christmas Break. It was nice while it lasted. So quit! (I did.) Backpack Europe . (I arrive in Athens on Jan 5th and will somehow make my way up to Dublin). Do it. With time fleeting, the irrational suddenly becomes extremely conventional, and I'm certainly not complaining.
I am reminded of the power of Christmas with my niece and three nephews. As I am typing this, I can hear the struggle of kid vs. parent on Christmas Eve; “well, he certainly won’t come if you DON’T go to BED! There is still plenty of time for him to switch you over to the naughty list!” (I love them all so much and being an aunt is sure one powerful method of birth control. Parenting is no joke.) To be honest, what I enjoy the most during this season is time itself. As I mentioned earlier, time seems to be what I desire most these days as it is becoming my rarest commodity. It is by far the best gift I both give and receive. It seems that everyone realizes, if only for one day, that family is important, that high school and college friends should be contacted, and that resolutions must be made. I can’t tell you how many times during the year I think “I should really call ________.” But during Christmas, we almost have an obligation. I mean, it’s Christmas! You have to call! While many cringe, I cherish it. I love hearing from you… even if it’s just one of those silly online birthday calendars that you haven’t bothered to personalize. I can dig it.
So there. That’s it really. Day-after-Christmas/Boxing Day letter number one was relatively painless… except for you non-calendar-personalizers. And I for you I have no mercy. Ok, maybe a little, but only because it’s Christmas.
