Cheer

7:27 a.m.

I woke up an hour early this morning because I was excited thinking about Christmas. (Why, yes, I am actually six years old, thanks for asking.) I'm excited to see my family. I'm excited to give Justin his gifts. I'm excited to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, even though I hate hate hate the part where the cat dies.

Things have been crazy at the gallery the last few weeks, what with people freaking out and being in big rushes and co-workers going on trips to the beach, etc. Every year I've worked in retail during the holidays I have not witnessed an ounce of holiday cheer. That's all I'm saying. A severe lack of holiday cheer, and an overwhelming abundance of holiday crankiness. And now I'm starting to feel crazy at home, what with the worrying about mailing gifts (the line at the post office has been out the door daily, apparently--why don't they ever have more than one or two people working to service a town with a population of 27,000? why?), and double checking and triple checking and quadruple checking with the kennel (I know they hate me), and wondering if I want to put my lipgloss in a quart size plastic bag at the airport or just check it with my luggage, and hoping we don't have bad weather so the flight is okay, and are they going to lose our luggage, and GEEZ WHAT WAS I THINKING BOOKING FLIGHTS ON CHRISTMAS EVE? THIS WILL NOT GO SMOOTHLY. KARA, I AM HORRIFIED BY YOUR DECISION MAKING SKILLS.

But, again, still waking up early because I'm excited. At least, I'm pretending I'm excited and not obsessing over what kinds of cookies to bake for the neighbors.

I was going somewhere with this.

Oh!

So, things have been nutty at work. Yesterday, I was completing a framing order transaction with a man around my age, and as I was writing out the receipt, he asked me how my Monday was going.

I have never been asked that by a customer in my life, and responded fairly awkwardly. And then he made pleasant light conversation about how busy it is this time of year, and asked nice un-probing questions, and I felt clumsy and happy and amazed. Someone asked! About my day! Pathetically, this brightened the next two solid hours, until I left for the day and nearly died on the treadmill at the gym.

Then last night I was sprawled on the couch with a fat cat on my chest and I saw Justin smile, and I said, "What?" because I figured, yeah, Jelly Roll probably does need to lose half his body weight, but then his name wouldn't apply at all, and also, he's so cuddly-so-don't-make-fun, but then Justin said, "Nothing. I like you." And that took away about three billion hours worth of stress. Right there.

What a good day.

Two simple sentences.

Everybody be nice to your local retail employees the next few weeks. And tell somebody you like that you like them. Because it matters.

Kisses,
black sheep