What Christmas is All About

Christmas and I have a love/hate relationship.

Growing up and through high school, I was the ultimate Christmas lover. I start listening to Christmas music on November 1, the first day where people don't give you odd looks when they hear Burl Ives "Holly Jolly Christmas" leaking out of your car. I watch what seems like hundreds of Christmas movies while drinking hot chocolate (or coffee these days) and anxiously count down the days until Santa arrives. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday.

When I was 16, I started working at a Hallmark store in Arlington. Working retail changes your perceptions on Christmas. Sure, at first it was wonderful to be surrounded by Christmas for 20 hours a week while at work. But as Christmas grew nearer, people started to get short. The hustle and bustle of the holidays gets to them, and as the wonderful day grows closer, they become more and more tacky. It's not at all because they are bad people, but because they get frustrated and worried that they will not get everything done in time. My first Christmas to work, I was yelled at for saying "Merry Christmas" as I sold a Christmas card. Each year I swear it will be my last to work retail during the holidays, not wanting to lose my love for Christmas, but each year I somehow return. 7 Christmases later, here I sit with aching feet after my 7 hour shift on Christmas Eve.

Yesterday began much the same. The snow outside, which I was ecastic about, brought out crabby moods in the people who were forced to trek around Arlington in it. People were cold, frustrated, and downright tired by the time they entered our small gift shop and their actions definitely showed it. During the afternoon, a woman named Lauren came to my register with three cards. She passed them to me as I smiled and inquired about how her Christmas shopping was going. She complained that our card selection was low, and I informed her of my theory that people were just giving cards this year instead of gifts because of the economy. She said nothing else, not being rude, but hardly being friendly either.

As I continued entering the prices of her cards into the register (yes, we are possibly the only store in the state that does not have computers), an older woman stepped up behind her. Her name was Ruth, and she was petite with windblown gray curly hair that still showed small streaks of brown in it, and she held a single box of Christmas cards, clearly meant for last minute gifts.

"That will be $9.36," I said to Lauren, the first woman, with a smile, as she gently pushed over her credit card and her Crown Rewards card. I grabbed the cards, hit credit on the register, and began to turn around to run her credit cards, when Lauren replied, "Excuse me." I whipped my head around, my wavy hair hitting my shoulder blades as I turned to look at Lauren,"I'll get her cards too." Lauren gestured at Ruth, who looked a little baffled.

Ruth quietly replied "Thank you" as she stepped up to the counter, set down her box of cards, and began rummaging through her purse for her wallet.

Lauren put her hand on Ruth's shoulder and said, "No, ma'am, I'm paying for your cards. No need for your wallet." Ruth looked up at Lauren, this clearly being the first eye contact made between the two women. A smile began to creep across my face as I rung in Ruth's cards and made my way to the credit card machine. This is like something you read about in some inspirational forwarded e-mail, I thought to myself.

As I swipped Lauren's credit card, the two women began to converse, first introducing themselves to one another:
L- I'm Lauren.
R- I'm Ruth.
L- You remind me so much of my mother-in-law. She passed away this year. The holidays have been really hard for my family without her.
R- I'm sorry for your loss.
L- Do you have family to spend the holidays with?
R- Yes, I've been blessed wtih a husband, a daughter, a son, and 4 grandchildren. Do you?
L- Yes, I am married and have a son. I want grandbabies so bad! (The two women laughed here)
R- That's what Christmas is all about. Seeing your blessings and spending time making memories with your family.

Tears clouded my eyes as I pushed in the totals on the credit card machine. "This is what Christmas is all about," I thought. Doing something kind for a stranger. Loving people who you have never met before. As we celebrate Christ's birth 2009 years ago today, this story is what he exemplified. It is what he stood for.

I gave Lauren her receipt and she quickly scribbled her name on the line. I wished them both a Merry Christmas and they hurried out the door, probably thinking they were soon to be forgotten, as 200 people entered and exited our store yesterday.

But they will not be forgotten. Their story will not be forgotten. As I've fought off cynicism about people during the holidays while working retail, I will always remember this random act of kindness I was lucky enough to witness. In the words of Anne Frank, "Despite everything, I think people really are good at heart."

Me too, Anne. Merry Christmas.