I became one of those people who decided to shop after Black Friday and avoid the mayhem of traffic and rude individuals.

Everyone is all over the place and everyone is hoping that whatever gift they buy will be good enough.

Hopefully so, that ungrateful child of yours will get everything their little heart desires.

Christmas shopping is incredibly suspenseful as the year comes to an end.

The gifts are meant to be perfect, the family is supposed to bond, and everything is supposed to be set up for when New Years’ rolls around.

supposedly.

You have to keep a level head when going shopping.

Ignore the lack of parking spots, expect that.

Expect someone to steal a spot that you were aiming for.

And please understand, that if a spot is surprisingly convenient and free even though everywhere else is packed, it’s probably handicapped parking.

Now that we have found a very far and very ridiculous (grateful for a parking spot) First, we must walk into the store.

As you step inside, this is where the hard part comes as we stare at all the items and look at all the ridiculous prices: deciding what on earth to buy.You walk around in circles for what seems endlessly and then suddenly you find yourself memorizing where all of the items were. You spend so long in one store, the employees wonder what on earth are you doing. You catch yourself singing along to the music playing and knowing which song is next.

Prices?

Do I really want to pay 60 bucks for this? Or do I want to find something else?

Oh, price doesn’t matter?

I’ll get everyone gift cards.

There is so much anxiety.

Who needs this

Who needs that

What should I get my:

dad?

Mom

Sister

Brother

best friend

Boyfriend

That other sister

Her girlfriend

Her cousin

Should I even buy grandma and grandpa anything?

THE STRESS!

There are some things that cannot be purchased because they were bought for other holidays. A box of tools, makeup, a video game?

Dear GOODNESS what is there left to buy?

Finally, it comes to that moment where everything falls into place.

After 72 stores, bad wrapping, 17 paper cuts, and 16 rolls of tape, if there is anything that I have come to figure out is that, the very smile on anyone’s face when opening a present, is worth every stressful moment of shopping.