Thank you, elf!

I’ve never seen an elf, but I know they exist*.

I’ve never seen one, but, during the holiday season, I am... the Shopping Elf. The season is upon us: the shopping season, that is! I do start early, but when the shopkeepers know you are looking for something special, they always say, “Come back when the Christmas things come in,” so you have to make the rounds again anyway.

This elf pledged last year’s errors would not be repeated, however. So far, it’s been an easy promise to keep: no rushing, plan a list before leaving the house (and write it down!) and focus on the task at hand.

Can you imagine, for an elf who can misplace her gloves between the closet and the porch door, this simple program can sometimes be challenging to follow? I’ve added an extra rule to the preparation process: insert an extra 10 minutes into the timetable to allow for frantic pacing between the closet and the porch; and an extra process: consult must-have-in-pocket-list before leaving house.

How do people who leave the shopping until Christmas Eve get it all done? Maybe their families don’t have four December birthdays as well! Or, maybe they have several Shopping Elves.

Last year, I was beside myself going over the mental list of last minute shopping! As I collected my bank card and slip from the ATM, I stuffed the cash into the right pocket and zipped it up. The funny thing is, when I put my hand into that pocket to retrieve some of said cash to pay for a purchase in a shop just two doors down from the ATM, there was no money. No more than three minutes had passed when I returned to the bank. There were the banking machines: no money on the floor, nor on the counter and not a soul in sight.

Gone. All that carefully squirreled away gift money, all gone. All those lovely things I’d planned to treat the family with, gone! “There’s a can of cranberry sauce in the cupboard,” I consoled myself. “Somebody needed it more than my family.” The thought didn’t fully comfort me, but there was no point in becoming frantic over an unalterable fact: the money was gone. I set my mind to enjoy the season without it.

Enjoy it we did — even without the roasted red pepper dip and the mincemeat tarts. New Year’s Eve, Shirley told me the same thing had happened to her. It was great solace to know I was not alone in my momentarily scrambled state, and we comforted each other every time we met for quite a while after.

My story had a happy ending, mysteriously. After the holiday season, my bank balance showed a balance (!) - for the exact amount I had withdrawn. Even the folks at the bank can’t explain it. Must have been that Christmas elf! * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avq9ABxMOys