"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Arggh! Is it just me or is Christmas somewhat overrated? Perhaps you've just read this statement and are going into shock. Or maybe you're like me, and you feel a bit Grinch-ish this year. You've felt like booing those who have been humming Jingle Bells since Halloween ended. You've thought about ripping down that neighbor's Christmas lights that have been hung up all year round. You've heaved a gargantuan sigh when spying the Christmas section in stores before Halloween even started. You want to physically hurt those people in line for Black Friday who are preventing you from just buying that gallon of milk you need. And don't get me started on those who put their trees up months before December. Perhaps you're starting to feel fed up with "The Holidays" in general. So here are a few warning signs that you might be turning into the Grinch.
1. Now that Thanksgiving has passed you try to refuse smiling or singing along when Christmas music comes on
2. When you try to get out of going to holiday parties with any excuse
3. The look you give when people ask if "you're ready for Christmas?!"
(Answer: How old am I? I ask Santa for things like socks now. Because I actually need them. It won't be long until I buy presents for myself. So, no?)
4. You consider taking down all of the trees you see until it's December
5. That happy feeling you get when your friends agree to NOT exchange gifts
6. No longer trying to resist Christmas music because it now actually irritates you to hear "Jingle Bells" for the 73rd time
7. When you remember those childhood feelings of joy you once had at Christmas time
8. When you just need to run some errands but you can't run away from the madness
9. That horrendous feeling when you compare the list of people you have to shop for to your bank account
10. You feel absolutely drained of any feeling after you finish shopping for that "perfect" gift for everyone on the list
11. When you finally give up and make something and call it "DIY" and "crafty" but you really just can't spend any more $$$
12. When you begin to contain volatile feelings for those children kicking and screaming in the toy aisle or those "cute" reactions when parents give their children bad presents on Jimmy Kimmel
13. When you get excited for the holidays only because you know it means good food
14. When you question the meaning of Christmas anymore
15. When you feel a personal grudge against those who you feel have just ingested all of Christmas, rainbows, and Buddy the Elf and are now throwing it all up on you
Wait? So does this mean I'm a Grinch if I've felt some or maybe all of these warning signs?
I don't know! Honestly, you're probably not even remotely Grinch-ish but you're just feeling a little fed up with the season. Maybe you've felt some of these but that doesn't make you a Grinch! Just recognizing that you might be a Grinch means you aren't a total Grinch. I honestly felt like sharing a bit of Grinchiness in the world after seeing the long list of articles about the joys of Christmas and after listening to the neighbors next door ho have been shouting Christmas carols since October.
Hopefully, this made you feel less of a Grinch when realizing there might be others who have similar feelings about this somewhat overrated holiday. And this doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy the holiday. Just like the Grinch, try to look past all of the packages, boxes, bows, and bags, and find your true meaning, whether it's about religion, family, or something else completely. So grimace through that next Mariah Carey song you've already heard for the billionth time, make it through that "old favorite" film you sit through every year, and realize that it will soon be a new year and it will be over before you know it, o try to enjoy some of it. So to all of the other Grinches out there, Merry Christmas, and only 28 days until it's over!
