What I've learned in 62 years about Christmas.

It doesn't discriminate on age. It's fun at 2, 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62.

Some unexpected car/house repair, sickness or otherwise will happen, and happen shortly after you'd just counted all your beans and thought "I think I can purchase all I want to purchase this year!"

WalMart is filled with folks whose cart/person take up 6 (of 8) feet of aisle space, they're oblivious to it, so you turn around, take another aisle, go around 'em. The checkout aisle you select will need a price check, a scanner repair, or a management approval.

Will hear: I can't believe you've already got your tree up.... Christmas Carols so soon, really? We just went to your folks LAST year!

My cousin Roger had good hands (was QB and Point Guard in HS) and was telepathic. He could grab a present, feel it and know exactly what was inside. He NEVER missed, sometimes even relating the color.

Turns out, my father, and my two uncles were horrible bowlers. For years, we little ones would await (mostly patiently) their Christmas Eve arrival at Grannies - as they annually 'bowled', which later we learned was the bar, adjacent to the lanes.

Snow will happen, on or around. Cold will happen. Car doors will freeze. Travel will be rough, sliding on roads, flights cancelled/delayed, connections missed.

With every generation comes a period where the bottom third of the Christmas tree gets torn to smithereens. (Double that, if you own cats.)

Cedar, evergreen and fireplaces smell heavenly.

It's all about the kids, no matter your age or the age of the 'kid'. Love happens. There is a family bonding that can't be duplicated.

It takes 1/60th the amount of time to unwrap a present as it does to wrap it. Piles of paper happen, parts to toys will get lost. Parents who ain't mechanically inclined later will boil in frustration reading directions, putting together this or that.

Annually, I say a prayer for whomever has to work in the Customer Service Department 12/26.

Whatever was spent, however many miles were traveled, the woes within, in the end: all worth it.

Two more things: Oh yeah, the reason for the season. And.... Santa HAS to be a woman. No man could accomplish what 'he' does in a 24 hour period.

Merry Christmas, Victurd