Mrs. Claus Is Every Woman At Christmas

As I sit here wrapped in my snow white, faux fur blanket, sipping cocoa -- just kidding, it’s wine -- watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, counting down the days till Christmas will arrive, I start to wonder, what about Mrs. Claus? Santa has so many songs, movies, and stories dedicated to him and his good work; Mrs. Claus gets barely a mention, most often it’s just a passing role in which she smiles warmly and reassures Santa that everything will work out fine. Don’t get me wrong. I love Santa. He is a great guy. But, when it comes to merry-making, I know a little secret. I know why Mrs. Claus always seems so calm come Christmas Eve when Santa starts to stress if he is really ready for all that must be done. It is because Mrs. Claus has been busy preparing for months. You see, the truth is, it is Mrs. Claus who brings the real magic to Christmas; and, she does so without even receiving a thank you.

For Mrs. Claus the groundwork for Christmas starts long before December. She begins picking up extra shifts at work, cutting back where she can on day-to-day expenses to build up the coffers. She returns home each night tired and overworked, only to find to a house that still needs cleaning, reindeer that haven’t been fed, and elves who refuse to do their homework.

The must-have Christmas list isn’t so straight-forward either. She spends months listening ever so carefully to determine exactly the right present for everyone. Then, one week prior to Christmas, they declare that there is only one thing that could possibly make them happy come Christmas morning. It is, inevitably, the one thing that every other child wants, and is nowhere to be found in the workshop at this point. But somehow, someway, through determination and a sprinkling of good luck she finds that last Hatchimal in the back corner buried underneath piles of other toys. Of course, there are also the gifts for the in-laws. Santa, somehow, always forgets his own brother; but, no one would ever know. Mrs. Claus has it covered -- and also wrapped, as she meticulously transforms every gift into a shiny package nothing short of a piece of art.

As we all know, Christmas isn’t just gifts, it is a feeling. A feeling that comes from walking in the door to see the house transformed into a sparkly winter wonderland, trimmed in greens and twinkly lights. It is the wafting smell of fresh baked cookies dancing up the stairs. Santa must have his cookies on Christmas eve; a reward for all his hard work. Santa, bless his heart, hasn’t so much as hung an ornament in last ten years. Yet you won’t hear Mrs. Claus complain. She works her magic in the home while the melodies of Johnny Mathis’ Christmas album fuel her holiday spirit. She is the caretaker of our holiday traditions.

Which brings me to one of the greatest holiday traditions of all: Christmas dinner. Despite working, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, and decorating, Mrs. Claus rises early Christmas morning to begin the preparations for the yearly feast. She has a list of everyone’s favorite holiday fare -- the kind they simply cannot live without. Bringing the grand total of side dishes to around seven. While the invitation clearly says four o’clock, she can count on at least a few family members showing up around two, long before she has found time to put on any makeup or brush her hair. She kindly invites them to pull up a stool in the kitchen so she can entertain her guests, while she rushes to get the ham and turkey into the oven. It is a feast, remember. And then, the culminating moment arrives where the whole family gathers around the table. The bird in all it's oven-roasted golden glory, and the ham glistening with crispy bits of caramelized honey and brown sugar, sit crowning the table, waiting for the host to arrive and ceremoniously carve them up to start the celebration. As Santa awakes from his afternoon nap, and makes his way to his seat at the head of the table, he takes up the knife, serving the first slice of holiday ham. The praises start to flood in. Santa, this looks amazing! Santa, what a feast! Santa, you truly ARE Christmas! Mrs. Claus, sitting at the other end of the table says nothing. She smiles a knowing grin, insisting that everyone fill their plates first, she will wait.

Mrs. Claus, we see you, and we want to thank you. We want you to know that we appreciate all that you do, each and every year, to keep the magic of Christmas alive. You are what makes Christmas so special.