So there I was standing at the top of my steps discussing my 7 theme-decorated Christmas trees with Jordan and Kelly (students of mine who double as Alex and Adam’s tutors in their free time) when Jordan turns to me and says “OMG Ms. Passe, are you THAT family???” I turn around and look behind me and say “What family, OMG, were we on the news again?” She said, “you know THAT family….the family that sends Christmas letters with pictures of your kids and all dresses alike on Christmas?” I said “well NO, we only dress alike on Christmas Eve when we wear matching pajamas.” Then it hit me. Wow, we ARE that family.
A few years ago I decided life was too short to be unhappy (ever) and dedicated myself to being happier with life in general. It wasn’t that hard either. I already loved my husband, kids, job, pets, friends and (sometimes) house. The real trick to this life change was to be conscious in looking for the silver lining in everything that happened. This is not easy people. Sometimes, you really have to work at it.
Last week end James and I hired a sitter and headed off to Columbia Missouri (90 miles South) to do some Christmas shopping. If you know Kirksville (you know, the town where THAT family lives) you know that it’s impossible to buy everything on your Christmas list. Items like “Happy” lotion made by Clinique are not there. You can shop in Kirksville all day long and finding that stuff is NOT gonna happen. So there we were in Columbia Missouri hitting Macy’s and where else?? Walmart. Why were we at Walmart? Because the only thing the kids wanted for Christmas were Harry Potter Legos which they picked out at the Kirksville Walmart. Since we were in Columbia, we thought we would go ahead and pick them up.
Now understand that we saved this item for last because we knew it would be the easiest. I mean, you never know if PETCO will have a sudden run on the holiday anti-itch large breed senior Christmas dog food or perhaps Macy’s will run out of “Happy” lotion. Columbia being the busy metropolis that it is (which to us means there are no corn fields visible from the road) has 2 Walmart stores and neither of them had any Harry Potter Legos. We decided to head to the mother of all childhood Christmas stores “Toys are Us.”
Once inside this insane world we found the Lego section quickly and eye balled all of the Toy Story 3, Star Wars , City and Sponge Bob Legos. There were ZERO Harry Potter Legos. James stopped one of the (I am not kidding here) 15 teenage employees wandering around aimlessly in a daze and said” excuse me, can you help us? Do you have Harry Potter Legos in stock?” The kid said “of course we do” they are over on the Lego wall. I will show you. (en route, the kid saw a younger bustier female and dropped James to help her for just a “sec”) I meanwhile, was leaving the Lego section when I was literally run
over by a small child on a scooter who had to be doing 20 around the corner. When I screamed and gave her the “eye” her parents over in the baby section shouted “Cholandra, get your skinny (blanket-blank) over here! You too Jamal” (who I soon learned was RIGHT behind her on an actual two wheeled bike and able to do more like 30 around the corner.)
It was 8:30 at night. We had been shopping since 12:30 in the afternoon. I finally said “That’s it. I’m going to customer service.” When I arrived and FINALLY got my turn in line I said “Do you have any Harry Potter Legos in stock?” The guy said “Of course. They are over on the Lego wall.” I said “Can you show me?” He said (pointing) “Ma’am, they’re right over there.” I said “TAKE ME TO THE HARRY POTTER LEGOS please.” He sighed, came out from behind the counter, dodged Cholandra and Jamal and found himself in the Lego section of his store. He carefully inspected every wall and turned to me and said “we must not have them.” (You think??-----silver lining Melissa……at least you were right)
The kids were pretty good this year and if all they wanted were Harry Potter Legos then we were determined to help Santa find them. (Never mind that Alex took a toy arcade-game gun into Catholic School last spring for show and tell and nearly got expelled or that Adam grabbed a kid’s lunch box from him which prompted the kid to punch Adam which landed both of their names on the dreaded “board”) On the way home we stopped at the Walmart in Moberly (60 minutes South of Kirksville) and Macon (30 minutes South of Kirksville). They had no Harry Potter Legos either but the parking was better each time and the stores less crowded. (Silver Lining) We finally ended up at the Kirksville Walmart with the LAST Harry Potter Lego castle at 11:00pm. At least there was ONE!
This year we count our blessings as we sit in our house with seven trees, the Christmas train, the Christmas card organizer and every inch of space draped in huge fat Christmas lights. As we drink cocoa from Santa mugs and watch Christmas movies together as a family, it is less difficult to find the silver lining. (Maybe because everything around me is lined in silver.) We enjoy each other’s company and are truly happy. Even though at times it has been difficult to find the silver lining, (we lost a family icon this year as Grandma Fulton decided to journey on to heaven) it is always there if you look hard enough. I now wear (trendy unlined) bifocals but I can still see it!
Merry Christmas from THAT family!
James, Melissa, Alex Adam, Maddie and Lucy (newly adopted Springer Spaniel)
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