Merry Christmas 2016, everyone. The original version of this column was published in December 2004, but I like to offer it regularly at Christmastime as a reminder since its message remains eternally relevant.
Let us arise from our sofas and recliners on Christmas morning to offer standing ovations to the true Santas of Christmas, those who so willingly (even eagerly) all but sacrifice their holiday to make sure the rest of us enjoy ours.
I'm speaking of all the mothers and grandmothers who've emerged from the shopping wars of recent weeks to ensure no family member felt left out in any way.
I'm speaking of those who've invested hours wrapping those presents they brought home. They are the ones who make certain each stocking is evenly stuffed before hurrying back and forth from the kitchen to prepare a memorable meal for all the rest.
Odds are they also are the ones who'll be cleaning up most of the paper, bows and assorted cardboard carnage of gift-giving.
These Santas likely are the ones who made sure the tree got decorated, particularly with any historical family ornaments preserved from Christmases past.
They are the nurturers of our Yuletide who see to it that the dining table that accommodates the holiday meal they've been cooking also is attractively set.
More often than not, they soon will be elbow-deep in the exhausting aftermath of cleaning up the kitchen after others have gorged, celebrated and headed for relaxing parts.
What would Christmas Day be like in most families without the member who cares enough to rise the earliest on Christmas morning and likely becomes the last whose weary head hits the pillow that night?
They are the ones who ungrudgingly put the desires of others before their own to ensure everyone else has a memorable day. I can tell you from experience that without them, this day wouldn't be nearly what many of us have come to expect--and, unfortunately, too often take for granted.
In families across Arkansas, this voluntary servitude has become such a part of Christmas that the selfless caregivers who coordinate the chaos are prone to be taken for granted.
It is unfortunate when that happens, for they are too precious not to be cherished in every deserving way.
I'm betting that for many readers, there's that family member who'll indeed be up with the sun to continue the process of inspiring smiles on the faces of those around them.
It wouldn't surprise me if she (okay, there is that occasional he) is stoveside right now, assembling some kind of breakfast casserole or baking cinnamon rolls for the morning's breakfast while physically and mentally juggling everything else that might be headed into the oven.
When the awaited time arrives for sharing presents, watch how our true Santas react so genuinely to the joy and laughter of others. The giveaway lies in their eyes.
She's also likely to make certain everyone else has their presents before her. That is, unless you and the others around her insist she receive the first one and a richly deserved place of honor.
I watched across their lifetimes as my now-departed mother and grandmother "Santas" lovingly accepted so many of the pressures Christmas brings without complaints and with relatively little appreciation.
They obviously found fulfillment in serving our family season after season. But I wish now that I'd hugged and thanked them far more than I did--while I still could. In hindsight, I realize how too few of us fully understood how so many of them truly made this day special for the rest of us.
Many families have similar stories, yet I seldom see them told. Do you?
These unsung nurturers of our Christmas have cared enough to choreograph and produce such vast unselfish productions set to the simple, tender themes of caring enough to share freely of themselves.
There's no doubt in many homes that without these mothers and grandmothers (who, by the way, likely also made certain the morning's coffee was brewed), so many wonderful Christmas days wouldn't have materialized. You must admit that such remarkable selflessness in this world of "me first" is indeed the authentic stuff of Christmas.
Why not take a minute tomorrow to sincerely thank your genuine Santa whose giving to others reflects the very spirit of the day? Oh, what the heck, perhaps even read this column aloud to her in honor of all of the energy she's devoted to enriching your life at Christmas.
Seal any genuine appreciation you feel with a toast in her honor.
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected].
Editorial on 12/24/2016