Christmas…I haven’t been able to do a “real” Christmas (the commercial kind) since the late 80’s, before I was divorced. The “presents” I got for the kids when they were little were never frivolous toys. They got new socks in their stockings, for example. For a couple of years in the mid 90’s I got food stamps, so their “presents” were of the food variety…I’d wrap sugar cereals (that they weren’t allowed to have at any other time) so they’d have something under the tree.

Then Rick and I got married and bought the shop…and things sure didn’t get any better! (Owning your own business isn’t what people think it is.)

Well, we walked away from the business in 2005, Rick got a good job, and things got a little easier. That is, we didn’t have to struggle just to pay bills, but there still wasn’t any play money left over.

Well, I got a job this year. A good one. We now have two incomes, and holy cow. I just went Christmas shopping with my most recent check (I get paid once a month.) I just shopped and shopped and shopped! It was just…unreal. I saw something I thought a kid would like, and I just bought it!! I was sitting in the living room last night, surrounded by all the stuff and the presents…and I just wanted to cry for Christmases past. It was so surreal. I was just stunned.