The Ultimate Christmas Playlist

There are several indicators that my house is the most commercialized version of the Lord's birth in the area.
1. Santas are everywhere. They are holding books of carols, riding in sleighs, combing their beards. They are bears in disguise, old floppy men, and figurines in snow globes.
2. There is not a single Jesus in this household. Not one cross, not one Bible on display. There is, however, a small nativity, which my mother said, "does not fit in" and is going to be removed.
3. Half of out house is "whimsical," the other half is "traditional." Jesus was neither whimsical nor traditional. He was Jesus. And the twenty-fifth of December is Christmas. Not meant for themed mantels. Let's not even talk about the animal tree; it doesn't have anything to do with the ark.
4. Our stockings were ordered from Pottery Barn. No sweet displays of familial affection, knit from Grandma. Nope. Grandma don't knit.
5. The fact that right now, as I right this, I am fulfilling my assigned duty. It was passed to me because I do a shitty job of cleaning, and my mother honestly thinks this is really important. No joke. I am creating the ultimate Christmas playlist on iTunes. I'm for real. And it is taking me quite a long time. She keeps passing me more and more CDs, Barbara Streisand, the Rat Pack, Perry Como, one after the other.

And, woah, it is overload. But somehow, I will admit, this commericialization doesn't ruin the holiday at all for me. I'm just so happy. I don't know, really, what about Christmas it is for me. I do like lights, and I have always loved happy music. And I sure do enjoy presents, and when I do give them, I like it. But it isn't the whole together aspect, or the warmth and love, I don't think. I mean, look at all the stress it causes in my family. But yet, maybe it is all worth it. For those few hours, in the deep night of Christmas Eve or very early on Christmas morning, maybe all the stress, all the unhappiness of preparation, maybe it all kind of washes away. And I love it.

Merry Christmas.
I hope you have a wonderful day, really.
And I'll talk to you soon.