The holidays are a time when families come together to enjoy one another. But do you ever notice that SOME family members are more “enjoyed” than others? It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanza. The baby trumps everyone else.
Before there were grandchildren, we “children” were the center of attention. Then our kids were born and somehow we found ourselves checked into the boards as we opened the door for guests who scurried anxiously past us asking, “Where is that BABY?” Then, for a time that particular baby was the focus. We would sit in a tribal circle around a bouncy seat, waiting for the child’s next big move.
Look!!!!! He blinked!!!! Is that the cutest thing EVER?
I wonder what she’s thinking?
Oh Michael, where IS your camera????
Yet soon, the inevitable occurs. The child grows up – and even worse – starts to talk and suddenly he or she is not half as cute as when you had to guess what was on their mind. It is at this point that a replacement baby is in order. If you are lucky enough to be part of a large procreating family, there is always a steady pipeline of babies waiting in the wings to take their rightful place as focal point of the holiday gathering. It is their God given right to be fawned over for a few months before they are relegated to the masses of cousins who disapear into the background or somebody’s closet for the duration of the festivities.
But what happens when the baby pipeline dries up and all you are left with are tweens and teens who you love to death but “adorable” and “precious” are not exactly the operable words. Remember these are the older kids who most of us are trying to avoid at holiday time — especially our own. Without babies, who do you talk to in that smudgie wudgie voice? Who do you worry will get out of sorts because of all the excitement? Who do you lie in wait for with your camera to get that perfect sleeping, yawning, playing, drooling, (fill in the blank) shot? And who do the grandparents love more than anyone else?
The answer in our family is clear….
…. the torch has been passed…
perhaps permanently.
A warm and happy holiday to MoB readers big and small, human and otherwise.
