Principal’s
Corner—December
By
Michael Breault
I
don’t know how many more shopping days of shopping I have left. It doesn’t matter. I refuse to be bullied into shopping, letting someone else apply
pressure when I have enough of my own.
I
don’t admire decorated trees and garland before Thanksgiving. I do not stop in front of a house that has
been lit with a host of characters on November 10th!
NO,
I’m not a scrooge masquerading as the principal. The holidays have always meant the gathering of my family and the
sharing of stories that we never get tired of hearing. We laugh like we’re
hearing them for the first time. We get
renewed energy knowing we are able to laugh now about what was troubling years
ago. My brothers and sisters compete for our parents’ affection (still) but in
a way that provokes more laughter.
After all, since I am the firstborn, I must be the favorite. It’s about time my siblings realized that.
Our
family has been extended to grandchildren and great-grandchildren, allowing for
even more stories (some more outrageous than our own) to be shared, compared,
and inevitably rated. It is by this
sharing that we find out common bonds.
Who else would think that she was my favorite than my first-born
daughter?
The
holidays allow us to compare our gene pool strengths and weaknesses, blaming
Dad for the high-blood pressure and Mom for cholesterol. Dad still has more
hair than I do, though. We realize the
inevitability of certain things (like I knew I would have glasses at 40) and
somehow the laughter makes it OK.
I
always get my shopping done, but it doesn’t rule my holiday spirit. My home gets decorated but I really look
forward to telling my brother that Mom called me last night and said that she
liked me best.
Happy
Holidays