Just Trying to Be Helpful

Spending Christmas with family can be interesting, exhausting, enjoyable, and memorable. This year was no different. I usually spend Christmas afternoon with my mom’s family. This includes one aunt and uncle, one cousin and her family, and of course, my mom and stepdad. We don’t have any awkward moments, and we all enjoy each other’s company very much. We usually spend time eating yummy dishes of good old-fashioned comfort foods and catching up on what’s been happening in everyone’s lives. (Usually the men end up outside by the pool smoking cigars and talking about men-stuff whatever that might be.)

I try to be a good little girl and make my rounds by talking to everyone – especially my aunt and uncle. My aunt is around 65 years old and just had both knees replaced. Ouch! My uncle is a few years older and still looks fantastic. I have a soft spot in my heart for the “elderly” even though my aunt and uncle certainly don’t act like “old people.” So every year I try to spend time with my uncle who used to be a triathlete and swimming coach, and we like to talk about running. As I was talking with him, my second cousin, who is ten years old, was nearby playing on his laptop. This information will come into play shortly.

After we ate dinner and opened presents, dessert was next on the agenda. My cousin makes a killer banana pudding so dessert time was over quickly. People started milling around the kitchen, and most people had left the living room. I noticed my aunt and uncle were squished on the loveseat - sitting behind a mound of opened gifts. With my second cousin still sitting on the couch, I began helping move the gifts out of the way so that my aunt and uncle had some more comfortable leg room.

As I was doing this, my sweet, little second cousin said, “Are you a senior citizen or something?”

“Excuse me?” I replied.

He innocently repeated himself.

My aunt and uncle both started laughing, and my second cousin looked confused. I asked him, “Do you know what that means?”

“No,” he stated.

So I explained the definition and he said, “How old are you?” Somehow this previously precious child now appeared to be annoying and bratty.

“I’m 37. So I still have a few years before you can call me that.”

He said, “Oh. Well, do you just like helping people?”

“Yes, I do,” and I was so glad that my attempt to be helpful was noticed by a young person. (Oh my goodness, I am getting old!)

And for the record, Second Cousin is just as precious, sweet and tender-hearted as they come – a wonderful boy who is known by his teachers as very special and kind to others.

That was not the end of the story. After I removed the present rubble from around my aunt and uncle, I started picking up dirty dishes, scraps of torn wrapping paper, etc. Again, Second Cousin noticed me. He said, “Is my mother paying you to clean our house?”

From senior citizen to maid!