peevish mama

It’s lucky number seven for my girl, my Supergirl – the girl who rocks Christmas every year and rocks my world every day. She is the perfect antidote for my grumpiness, my cynicism. She’s intrepid, optimistic, irrepressible and happy. But she’s no Pollyanna, my Supergirl. She’s funny and mischievious and wise beyond her years. She is high energy, low maintenance, creative and busy. If you need someone to pull you out of a funk, she’s the man for the job.

For me, December was kind of gross this year. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t feeling it. I clomped around like a grinch and a scrooge and a bitch all wrapped up in one tawdry package. The cloying smell of cloves, cinnamon and allspice wafting around the stores was enough to make me wretch. Scented candles – barf. Potpourri – double barf. Christmas carols set my teeth on edge. Every gift I bought for the kids had me mentally calculating what was going to have to go in order to keep us from overcrowding and mahem. Every line I stood it, I’d sullenly survey the others wondering whether they needed all that stuff, whether they could afford all that stuff. And I wondered the same about myself. The excess, the forced merriment, the consumption, the waste – it was looming large for me and I knew I had but one choice – beat it down, overcome my angst, and get my game face on because of the four other cats in this house who happen to love Christmas and who happen to deserve Christmas.

As it turns out, this was the best Christmas in memory. We had tons of snow, tons of time together as a family, some delicious meals, and the best reason of all to celebrate on Christmas Day: Supergirl. Oh pishposh, I know Jesus was born too, but you know what? Right now, Jesus isn’t the one tagging every paper surface in the house with increasingly peculiar and witty drawings. He’s not the one who takes everything in stride in a family of moody bastards. He’s not the one who skips to do me favors. He’s not the one who makes me laugh every day. Supergirl is. 

Happy birthday, girl. Keep on doing all the things you do, exactly as you’re doing them. Keep on shining that light, baby. I love you.