I tend to start Christmas shopping very early; I have mentioned that, come Christmas day, I am often as surprised as my gift recipients because by the time Christmas rolls around, the Christmas gifts have been wrapped and stored for eight months, and I’ve forgotten what I got for everyone.
The last two years, though, I have had to open and occasionally re-gift things that I have bought for people who have died during the year.
Yesterday, as I was walking in a antique mall flea market, I thought, What if I pass away before Christmas, leaving my Christmas shopping half-done and with people wondering about how I prioritized them, with gifts for people with whom I haven’t spoken in years but not my immediate family?
Whether that thought was macabre or merely rationalizing more trips to antique malls and flea markets, I leave to you to decide.
