Did I miss something?
Did I blink my eyes and Thanksgiving came and went without my noticing?
I ask these questions because the store shelves are filled with Christmas decorations and gifts. The fall and Thanksgiving decorations are already 50 percent off, and it’s two weeks before turkey day.
We sure are in a hurry.
I understand that feeling as I’ve always been in a hurry. I was that kid who, a week before Christmas Eve, carefully and stealthily unwrapped and rewrapped every present under the tree.
The thoughts “hurry up and grow up” went through my mind a lot. Whenever I’d ride in the front seat of my mom’s car, I’d sit up as tall as I could so other people would think I was a grown up.
My 15th birthday couldn’t come fast enough because I could get my drivers license. I was the first one in line that day and the happiest person walking out of the DMV office, license in hand.
I couldn’t’ wait to be 18 because I could vote. I remember the grown-up feeling I had standing in the voting booth in Louisiana as the heavy curtains closed behind me. The feeling was even sweeter as it was a presidential election year.
I couldn’t wait to have children and then I couldn’t wait for them to grow up enough to have a conversation with me. I couldn’t wait for them to go off to college and now I have a hard time waiting until the next time I can see them.
I looked forward to turning 55 because most restaurants and stores offered a senior discount. No shame on my part in asking for the reduced rate either.
But the big discounts were still 10 years down the road. Instead of wishing I was old enough for that discount, I should’ve enjoyed having knees that didn’t ache every time I stand up.
When Covid hit, we were in even more of a hurry. We wanted a vaccine, stores to reopen and to go to concerts. We couldn’t wait until we were able to attend a live football or basketball game.
I remember thinking when life opens back up, I’m going to savor every single moment of being with others.
At the beginning of the lifting of restrictions, I did just that. We lingered with friends, made more trips to see family and didn’t mind standing in line talking to a stranger. We’d longed for human companionship and we finally got it.
But it seems we’re back to being in a hurry again, especially where holidays are concerned.
In the middle of June, it was get out of the way, Fourth of July, because Halloween is coming. As soon as the noise of the fireworks died down, store personnel were setting out candy for Halloween.
Halloween night, they were hauling all the plastic skeletons out of the store because Christmas was coming.
Forget Thanksgiving. The countdown has already begun to Christmas and, if I look hard enough, someone somewhere is counting down the days until New Year’s Eve.
We’re missing so much because we’re in a hurry to get to the next event, the next holiday, the next milestone.
I’m going to give thanks every day until Thanksgiving and celebrate all the days in December instead of wishing it was Christmas morning.
Because the day comes and is over, just like every single one before it. All those days we missed what was right in front of us because we were so busy looking ahead.
Not this year.
This old soul has learned the meaning of the word “savor.” That’s exactly what I intend to do.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.