I am more than fine with moving ahead to Christmas

Published 6:04 pm Saturday, September 26, 2020

Fall has arrived and with it has come the Christmas rush.

Yes! That’s right.

I couldn’t believe my ears on Thursday when I heard news reports of retailers getting ready to begin their holiday season promotions.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Even “Today Show” host Craig Melvin gave a countdown saying “It’s just three months until Christmas Eve.”

Anytime I hear Christmas countdowns they just raise my anxiety level.

There is a men’s clothing store in Jackson, Kinkade’s Fine Clothing, that gives a countdown to Christmas. At the end of their advertisement that airs on WLBT, they will remind you how many shopping days you have left.

When they get to the single-digit numbers my anxiousness turns to panic, even if I have all my gifts bought and wrapped.

I know this sounds crazy, but for me, countdowns cause concern.

While it seems bizarre to be talking about Christmas when I haven’t even put out my Halloween decorations, I guess it’s par for the course during this crazy coronavirus year. Talking about the holidays in September is just one more pandemic perturbance.

And while I may want to defy this early shopping rush, I learned my lesson back in March when there was no toilet paper to be found on the grocery store shelves.

You better get while the getting is good.

There is no doubt more folks will be shopping online than ever before, in an effort to avoid the crowds, which means also that next-day delivery may be a thing of the past, at least for this year.

So admittedly, I guess I need to start making out my lists.

I feel sorry for the parents of young children. Shopping early may seem like a way to relieve some of the last-minute holiday stress, but if their kids are like mine were when they were little, invariably, there is always that one toy they want Santa to bring that you don’t hear about until it’s almost too late to deliver.

And if you shopped too early, unfortunately, your budget might already be blown.

I was complaining to my youngest daughter about the news I heard about early Christmas shopping, hoping she would agree, but she didn’t.

She suggested an alternative way of looking at the situation.

The Christmas season is all about hope and never more has our country needed to anticipate better days ahead.

COVID-19 has stolen so much from so many. Not only have thousands of lives been lost, but moments in time that we can never get back were also taken.

Graduation ceremonies and weddings were canceled. Summer vacations and family gatherings were called off. Those suffering in hospitals and nursing homes have been separated from their loved ones.

The list goes on of how this pandemic has altered our way of life, so yes baby girl.

You are right. We do need the season of hope to begin, now.

So let the holidays begin.

I love it, Christmas music in September.

 

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

email author More by Terri Cowart