All in the Family
25 December 2018 | Guelph, Ontario
Tuesday 25 December 2018
Christmas morning at Ted & Terri’s (Papa & Nana, Jan’s sister), where we’re staying, was peaceful until about 1000 when everyone began arriving from Mass and chaos reigned. One of their three girls including family didn’t show because her husband has flu, daughter has a burned hand plus 103F fever and son was just circumcised (owie!). Brin & Daniel are having a less than optimal Christmas, but all completely recoverable and life will again become worth living in short order. We’ll visit them before leaving, but in the meantime, for us non-family oriented people, it was not entirely awful as there were only 3 carpet commandos instead of the usual 5. One might think this would make for 60% the disruption, but it’s better than that as each additional child creates a synergism that is exponentially more chaotic. All the little guys got a number of presents greater than their ability to count or than they can possibly appreciate, but this is the manner in which modern adults express their love. Since kid’s wants are so capricious and ephemeral, even evanescent, parents and grandparents try to make it up by covering every potentiality, meanwhile keeping attics full and retail merchants, Goodwill and landfills busy.
Besides a time for family continuity, the holidays are an opportunity to disregard responsibility, practice self-indulgence and get fat. Pies, cakes, candies, egg nog, et al. - the amazing volume of often unhealthy food is awe inspiring and must naturally be consumed to wretched excess. Making New Years’s resolutions is often directly related to guilt from this activity. Failure of such promises is due their being no fun.
Although having eaten enough last night and this morning for a week we go over to Mathias & Merin’s (the final daughter is Katelyn with Jordan) for the “big” meal. It’s an ugly necessity, but we live to sacrifice. Pepto Bismol and Alka Seltzer sales must be through the roof.
Jack & Jan