I Did It My Way! Poem by Loyd C Taylor Sr

I found myself thinking out loud, "I just can't do this again; no, I won't do it again! I'm so tired of the time it takes, and of all the mess it makes; not to mention, the stress it brings to my life! "

Looking for the tape and scissors, I continued mumbling… "Why do we have to go through this ritual every year? I don't know why we can't just once, celebrate Christmas the way I want to… without all these stupid decorations! '

But no, I do this yearly, just to please my wife!

It's true, every Christmas, it's the same ole' thing: we get started early, decorating everything in sight, just the way my wife wants it done!

I drag those boxes of decorations down from the attic, and then move everything in the house, her wishes to accommodate. Then, it's like I'm her robot, "Yes Dear… Ok Sweet…"

I carefully unpack the boxed contents, then proceed to hang lights and bulbs: I'll tell you, it's a task I've grown to hate!

Extra care must be taken to keep those ragged boxes in good shape for repackaging for Christmas next year.

Then, "Joy to the World" it's our wonderful artificial tree, complete with its 600 lights. It's an oversize tree in an undersized box. How did they cram it in such a small space? No worry, for it comes with assembly instructions as easy as A, B, C. Sure!

So, I work and work, pull and bend, twist and stretch to get it to resemble the picture on the box.

And when Christmas is all over then, you guessed it; we do it all over again. Everything has to be taken down, ever so carefully. Each bulb and piece of decoration has its own unique place to go.

Then I must do an Easter egg hunt. I search every nook and cranny, doorway and window seal, collect it all once again.

You can bet if anything is missing, then my wife is sure to let me know.

Once everything is all packed up, then back to the attic it goes.

Ouch! Another prick from those needle-like metal hangers.

That's it! I'm not going to take it anymore… I've had it! I'm going to tell my wife simply and plain that I wear the pants in this family, this just has to change!

I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote her a note… "From now on Baby, " as I scribbled with hot pen, "we are going to do things differently! This whole decoration program of yours has gotten out of control! Next Christmas, I'm gonna do things my way! '

That was the note I wrote last New Year's Day, as I was boxing decorations.

I had become so frustrated at the whole idea of decorating. I intended to tell my wife a thing or two that was on my mind.

And I meant it, that is, until I saw her smile and heard her sweetly say to me, "Honey, do you mind helping me get the Christmas decorations down? And, please, would you put up the tree? "

That's when I did it my way…

I answered, "Yes Dear, anything for you."

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!