Written on December 17, 2010 by Mz Gina

Decisions, decisions, decisions; just so many choices to make; all to do when it comes to the wrapping of Christmas presents. For me it is the setting of the mood, the theme, the ambiance -to be creative, it starts with the music.
Back when I was in my twenties, it was the yule tide log burning and the Christmas tunes playing from the one television station that did it for me. Wrapping paper, tissue paper, tape, scissors, boxes, pen, bows, ribbons, tags, gifts and a pack of cigarettes with a beer; all on the floor, as I wrapped for hours on end. When I was done with mine, I would move on to helping those who find the chore cumbersome. Sometimes I would have three to four sessions of wrapping before the holiday came.
When the son became aware of the presents, and Santa was no stranger, wrapping changed. Across the kitchen chairs lay the gifts that were not his, wrapping paper with one “special” paper in the group (to signify that extra special gift) –no bows, and the ribbon for occasional curlies on a gift. On the table meticulously placed was the tape, scissors, tags and pen. Listening to the cute Christmas specials with those warm and fuzzy cartoon voices singing: Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and of course, Alvin and the Chip Monks singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Time was limited to wrap uninterrupted, those shows were only on for an hour to an hour and a half a night. You wrap fast and hard. What a pain in the #*%, when you can not remember whether or not you took the price tag off, and of course it is wrapped, even has a curlie ribbon and tag! The kids presents were done in quiet late at night; when the son was asleep, so if he got up to sneak a peek, I could hear. Oh, and the beer was now a glass of wine.
Today, the adult son helps with most of the wrapping. We wrap across the bed, so I you can sit at a height that does not kill you to get up, if you know what I mean. The wrapping paper is coordinating, so there is a theme when it is under the tree. (This year is pretty -the blues with snowflake stars, snowmen and women and penguins.) No bows and ribbons, they never got to where they were going, and it is self-sticking tags now-a-days. Lots of laughter as the tape still gets stuck to something or other, a roll decides to roll away leaving paper across the floor and of course, there is still never enough of the best tags. We bring a back up pen for when we lose the first pen.
Later I wrap a few on my own, and it still all about the music– Nat King Cole singing Joy To The World, Bing Crosby singing Deck the Hall, Dean Martin with Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Luciano Pavarotti singing Ave Maria and Beyonce singing Silent Night. Yes, I did say Beyonce, she does it so beautifully. The “special” paper still coordinates with the other blues, everyone gets a special little itty-bitty something in it. Yes, I took all the best tags for those gifts, and I put the names on them with my favorite blue pen.
When I am done, I just have to put my feet up and take a minute to remember a long ago Christmas. When I was about five, it was one of the best Christmas’ of all. My gift that year was priceless, I received what the true meaning of Christmas was. This is the gift I hope my son will pass on to his little girl. This is the life I tell you, as Sinatra is singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and I sip some non-alcoholic eggnog and dream.
So, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas! Enjoy the music.

Filed under Complex-Simplicity.
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