Christmas in Lockdown

I had one job, and I had to get it done, failure was not an option.  With only two days to go, I had to get the impossible-to-find gift by Christmas Eve, or I would ruin a 4-year-olds Christmas.

My family goes crazy over getting Christmas gifts, every year we all scramble for the perfect gift, and usually at the last minute. And I get it, presents are an amazing and heartfelt way to show how I care about those I love.  I remember the light in the eyes of my kids when they first saw the brightly lit Christmas tree, with colorful wrapped presents piled high underneath, nothing less than fireworks of joy exploded in their brains. And then when they open the perfect gift, the one they wanted with all their heart?  That pure energy of delight would light me up all winter. 

 The Spirit of Christmas can get lost in the accumulation of stuff, kids wanting more and more elaborate gifts, while the parents scramble to get the perfect present, burning ourselves out in the madness of the holiday season.  I know this.  But this year, of all years, I knew buying the perfect gift would help overcome a challenging time.

It was Christmas of 2020, do you remember that year?  The COVID pandemic raged across the nation, holiday parties were canceled, and trips to visit the relatives scrapped to just stay at home. With COVID tests rare, and no vaccine available, everyone worried about spreading this terrible disease to their families.  It had already sent millions to the hospital and killed thousands.  Cases of the disease were skyrocketing across the country, filling hospital wards with the sick and dying.  A shortage of respirators became a significant concern, especially for family members who were older, were overweight or had pre-existing respiratory conditions.  My father-in -law, Papa Pat, hit the trifecta with every respiratory issue possible, asthma, allergies, and  COPD.  He could not get COVID.  My own father was diagnosed with Stage four cancer and had significant health concerns.

 Christmas that year took on an even larger significance, a bright spot in a year of quiet desperation. 

My wife and her brother decided to try and make Christmas special for all the kids.

Her parents, my three teenagers, her brother and his family, which included my cute  four-year-old twin niece and nephew Claire and Carter, all together under one roof to exchange gifts and celebrate Christmas morning together.  We hadn't  seen these people without masks in nine  months.   

We had visited before, sitting in their backyard, far apart at our own tables, shouting across to each other.  All to keep Papa Pat safe, and reduce the risk of him getting COVID.   A great idea in the beautiful warm days of summer, we held garden parties while the kids ran through the sprinkler, the flying beads of water connecting us to each other. But, we could not spend Christmas like that, we’d freeze in the outdoors. 

The plan, almost impossible to implement, was simple.   Each family would lockdown with no contact with other people for two weeks, 14 days to keep ourselves free from infection.  If we could make it 14 days symptom free,  then we would be welcomed  inside for Christmas.  A huge lift, and all so we could open presents together for the Holiday.

 My family and I had been attending school and work remotely most of the year but had found ways to continue our lives through grocery shopping with masks, meeting friends in backyards, and through tight knit social bubbles.  Now we got serious, my three teenagers and I had to stay home, and be away from friends, 24 hours a day for two weeks.   We all had to give up important things, and after twelve days, we were almost through it.   But then a wrinkle, we had to get a Baby Yoda for Carter.

  This obsession had come out of the blue.  Carter, just four years old, had seen a commercial about the new show ‘The Mandalorian ’.  Carter asked about the little green alien, and his Dad, a Star Wars fab like myself, told him all about the movies, the amazing characters, and the power of the Force. Carter  heard the excitement in his Dad’s voice, saw the cute green baby with the huge ears, and became obsessed.  Carter never saw the show, never saw a Star Wars movie, but now this kid had to have a Baby Yoda doll, the ‘It’ gift of the holiday season.  As the Uncle and Aunt, we were assigned the project, and  had less than 48 hours to find, buy and wrap one up.  

 Of course, the toy could not be found anywhere. Store after store advertised these Baby Yoda dolls online, only to be sold out when I clicked the links. I roamed deep into dark portals of the internet, even contemplating paying twice the retail price from an online auction site.  The COVID pandemic had created supply shortages of essential goods, toilet paper, flour, and Baby Yoda dolls. Late into the night I kept at it, I would not be the Uncle who ruined Christmas.

I knew the importance of the perfect gift from personal experience.  I loved Christmas, and knew Christmas morning to be the greatest, most exciting day of the year.   

Speaking of Star Wars, I remember one Christmas, I had to be eight or nine, when I really wanted a Tatooine Luke Skywalker Landspeeder Vehicle. Remember the toy?  The vehicle Luke had to sell in the first Star Wars movie to get enough money  to get off Tatooine with Han Solo.   My friend had one, and I wanted one too. I had the Luke Skywalker and the Han Solo action figures. I needed their car too.

I had scoped it out at the toy store, examining the details from all the pictures on the box.   I didn’t think my Mom would get it for me, because, well she said she wouldn’t.  It cost too damn much.  I hoped for a Christmas miracle.

 Through the agonizing wait for Christmas that year, I looked everyday, but did not see a box in the right shape.  A fear began to creep in, if I didn't get it, what would I get instead, more underwear, and socks? Christmas eve came, and still no box.   I didn’t sleep at all that night, listening for my last chance, Santa and his reindeer.

 Christmas morning finally arrived, and Santa had come!  I saw a box, just the right shape and size, and it had my name on it!  I could feel the energy building in me.

My parents, though, made my sister and I wait.  They had to have their coffee, while my sister and I sipped hot cocoa and whip cream, watching the clock tick our morning away. Then my Dad pulled out a box of chocolate muffins,  I ate one, then two, begging them to hurry up.  Finally we got the signal, time for presents!

My sister, younger, got to go first. I watched her open a box, and she pulled out a doll.   I rolled my eyes while she giggled, and gave it a fierce hug.   Then my turn, and I dove for the box, my whole body buzzing with excitement.  I ripped open the paper and saw the picture on the side, and felt a wave of emotion build inside of me. I got the Tatooine Luke Skywalker Landspeeder Vehicle! I ripped open the box, cardboard shrapnel flew around me as the vibrations in me,  and my stomach built up.  I looked inside at the most beautiful toy I had ever seen, my dream in my hands.  The wave of emotion crested, peak joy had been reached!  Then I puked hot cocoa and chocolate muffins right in the box.

 See, I knew about getting excited about gifts.

 I had to find this Baby Yoda.  I looked and looked but only found one doll in Nevada that might arrive by New Years Day.  Then I brought in the expert.   My wife found a store 45 miles out of the way, but they had one still in stock. We hopped in our car and took off, arriving in just 40 minutes, as empty highways were one positive result from the pandemic shut downs.  After several calls and pleading with a stressed sales associate, she delivered it to our car in the parking lot.  We finally had our hands on Baby Yoda. Once we had it, we wiped it down of course, can’t be too careful. 

We had saved Christmas!

I had forgotten how it felt to be around people outside of my immediate family.  We hugged, cooked, and ate with people we had not seen without masks in close to a year.

In the living room, the Christmas tree floated above a roaring sea of colorful bright presents. Carter and Claire were beside themselves, spinning, jumping and playing with everyone, especially their cousins.

The next day, Christmas morning, we all got to open presents together.  Everyone loved their gifts.  I got books, shoes, and a new cutting board.

 Carter loved his Baby Yoda, and Claire squeezed her own doll, Everest from Paw Patrol tight to her cheek. Carter didn't throw up, but I know he loved his new doll.   Baby Yoda never left his hands, and he brought Baby Yoda with him to do everything. Baby Yoda sat at the table to draw with my daughter Mira, then read a book with my other daughter.  Everybody, including Baby Yoda, played in a wild and rambling soccer game with my son.

Later that night my sister-in-law Kym called her parents so the twins could speak to their other Grandparents on Christmas.

 “Come on over and tell your grandparents what you got for Christmas”, Kym said to the twins.  “Tell them what your favorite present was.”

I swelled with pride, knowing they were about to get all the details of Baby Yoda from Carter and hear all about Claire’s new Paw Patrol doll.

“Hello Grandpa and Grandma!”  Claire and Carter screamed into the cell phone, holding it awkwardly between themselves. “We played with our cousins, inside, with no masks,  all day!” Claire said. 

“This is the greatest Christmas ever!” Carter shouted, joy blazing from his face.

 My smile reached all the way to my ears.

This year was different, and the family had done all we could to make Christmas special.  Effort and sacrifice had paid off,  just in a different way than I expected.

 These kids understood all about what was important about Christmas, way better than me.