Why Santa Clause of course!

(Posted by Ron)

When I was a kid Christmas always seemed to be over much too soon.  We would wake up and come down to see what Santa had left for us.  After my last sister left home that was seldom a surprise since I knew where mom and dad hid everything.  One Christmas they actually forgot one of the presents but I was smart enough to not say anything.  Besides, it was just a book.  I got it a few weeks later.

The gift part of Christmas was always over too soon, but since we opened our gifts one at a time, and in turn, we were able to make it last as long as possible.  When I married my first wife I learned that her family did Christmas the same way.  Each person took a turn opening gifts.  Our kids quickly learned they could not run in to see what Santa left until dad and mom (primarily dad) were ready to wake up.  I think the rule was they couldn’t go downstairs until 7:00.  Any one of my kids can verify that.  Santa’s gifts were never wrapped so they quickly got through those.

The grandparents and my first wife’s sister were quite generous at Christmas time so there were plenty of wrapped gifts under the tree.  At some point one of the kids was selected to be the gift sorting “elf” and would begin stacking the gifts in front of the appropriate person.  Once they were sorted it would begin.  Each of us would take a turn opening a gift.  Then the next, and so on until all of the gifts were displayed for all to see what each of us received (woe be unto anyone who spent too much time fawning over the package they were opening.)  With six of us, the gift opening piece of Christmas morning was stretched out for an hour or so and everyone got to oohhh and aahhh over each present.

Fast forward a few years.  I am at Gayle’s parents’ house for my first Christmas with her family.  One thing immediately struck me.  This was a large family group.  It included Gayle and me, her step-siblings and their families, her step-father’s brother and his family, and several of Gayle’s mom’s relatives.  It was a crowd,  but a happy one.  There were gifts under the tree and a huge table set in another room for the Christmas feast.  It took a couple of years for me to get to know the names of all of these folks but I did.

So there we were.  Lots of people in the room and gifts under the tree.  At some point it seemed as if a signal was given (if a whistle was blown I never heard it) and whooosh paper started flying, Goldie would shout “save the bows”,  and then as suddenly as it began it was over.  All of the gifts were open.  I never knew who got what for whom or even what everyone received.  Some of the family would open their gifts, say thanks to someone, close them back up and stack them, ready to put them in the car.  I was in a daze that first time.  I still had most of my gifts to open and almost everyone else was finished.  As I said above, OMG, who got what?

That went on for all of the years that I was fortunate to spend Christmas with Gayle, her mom and Charles, and her family.  I finally learned to enjoy the mayhem of Christmas morning.  Although it wasn’t the way I would have done it, it worked for them and everyone was happy and felt loved and extremely grateful for their extended family.  It was a very good way to spend Christmas day.

I asked Gayle what she remembered about Christmas morning when she was a child.  Her comment was “we probably slept in.”  Santa came to Gayle’s Chicago apartment on Christmas Eve so they were finished early.  Knowing how much her dad was a force of nature when he was alive, I’m not surprised he was able to get Santa to adjust his schedule for Gayle.

Gayle and I spend Christmas in many ways depending on our kids’ visitation schedules and our travel plans.  This year we plan to see several movies on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  We will likely open each other’s gifts on Christmas Eve and sleep in before going to Christmas brunch at a local hotel.  The kids start arriving the 27th.  There will be another Christmas then.  With our friends, we open presents as we see them.  It’s almost a continual flow of Christmas through sometime in January. When the kids are here, though, one of the grandchildren becomes a Christmas elf and the Lambert tradition of opening gifts one at a time is in force again.  Why?  Because that’s what works for us.

Gayle and I love both traditions.  Gift opening frenzy!  Sedately taking our time.  Neither is best or right or wrong.  They just are what they are.  I miss going to Goldie’s house and watching everyone have so much fun.  I also miss hearing my kids begging to go downstairs early.  I miss being a child with mom and dad and sneaking into the walk-in closet in their bedroom to check my gifts days before Christmas.  On the other hand, all of those times are still alive within me.  As I sit here making yet one more post to this website that has become my master, I remember celebrating Christmas each way and know one thing.  Life is good.

Merry Christmas to all of you.  I hope you are surrounded by those you love.  I hope you will be building memories that will last the rest of your life.