My girls might not be quite as excited about Christmas if they had any idea about the current status of their Christmas stockings; completely empty!
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Hearts would break if the big day was suddenly brought forward to today or any one of the next few tomorrows as far as I can see.
I've always been an excessive gift giver to my girls at Christmas, even when I tried really hard to cut back.
This year, I'm starting to think they might be lucky if I get my act together enough to lash out on anything other than one brilliant beach towel each.
I've known for some time now that something was up, as my 80-year-old blood-cancer-ridden mother regaled me with exciting news about each gift in a stash she had purchased for all four of her children, their spouses and her eleven grandchildren...hitting the shops before and after chemotherapy each week!
While I've been dragging my feet on the one beach towel front, mum posted off her parcel to my brother in Queensland weeks ago.
I'm not entirely sure what the issue is for me, although like most freak occurrences in life, it seems to be the perfect storm of circumstances colliding to create a catastrophic impact.
Mid-year, I started working outside of my home four days a week, and it turns out all I'm good for at the end of a long day is collapsing in a heap.
You can't 'shop 'til you drop' if you've already dropped.
Secondly, the girls all need big ticket items this year.
Things like a laptop, a new mobile telephone and an Apple watch.
I'm definitely not ready to face the financial music associated with such expenditure, no matter how many Christmas carols are ringing out on the radio.
Gone are the days when a few Barbie dolls, a board game and a selection of books made for a top shelf array of gifts for the girls.
Even the hair straighteners, complete regimes of skin care and a series of acrylic nails never came close to the cluster of costly components appearing on lists on the refrigerator this year.
Finally, I think I just kind of spoilt them all already in 2021.
The world went mad, and so did I.