We’re celebrating Christmas with the kids and grands early, so this week is wrapping week…not my favorite activity for these ten reasons.
10. I grew up trying to force reused, wrinkled wrapping paper that was always too small around boxes that were too big.
9. Next we topped the wrinkled paper with old bows, all of which had lost their sticky.
8. We always ran out of Scotch tape before we were done.
7. When we ran out of Scotch tape, Mom showed us how to use masking tape rolled inside out to hold the wrapping paper together. This tactic worked approximately 50% of the time.
6. She told us to use rolled up masking tape to stick bows on the packages, too. That worked approximately 25% of the time.
5. All of the above traumatized me, so I now avoid wrapping paper whenever possible.
4. So I’m in a catch 22 situation: If I seek immediate treatment for my wrapping paper phobia, I will not have time for wrapping presents.
3. Plus, as a result of the tendon I severed 2 months ago, my left thumb has a bad case of oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) and is in therapy, too. Which means even less time for wrapping presents.
2. Though gift bags are the obvious solution to my gift wrapping issues, I am too much of a cheapskate to buy them. So I’ve developed this habit of saving gift bags from year to year and store them in a big drawer.
1. Every Christmas season, when I open the drawer and see the big pile of wrinkled gift bags, I realize that I’m more like Mom than I want to admit. And I thought Christmas was designed to gloss over harsh realities like that.
How about you? Do you love or hate wrapping presents? Tell us why in the comment box.
