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birth we celebrate each year?
    There’s another song, and I think the lyrics say it well: “Oh, come let us adore him.” It’s sage advice, written by someone with not only a nice sense of rhythm, but biblical priorities and no small measure of wisdom.
    I’d be willing to bet it was a blonde.

9

    Christmas, a Labor of Love
    I DON ’ T KNOW WHY S ANTA GETS ALL THE CREDIT.
    After all, what family do you know in real life where the man of the house is the driving force responsible for making Christmas happen? I can’t think of many. The truth is, we women carry the lion’s share of the responsibility—and the privilege—of creating memorable holidays for the folks we love.
    I think women shoulder the bulk of the work because a successful Christmas requires skills that come more naturally to women than to men.
    Like spending massive sums of money.
    And that’s just for starters. Women are also better at manipulating unwieldy pieces of wrapping paper, as well as knowing the behind-the-scenes politics of all our friends so that uncomfortable combinations of people don’t show up at the same Christmas party. We’re also ahead when it comes to remembering the correct spelling of the names of people on our gift list, including distant relatives, bosses and coworkers, children’s teachers, and even our own children. (And I only say this because, several weeks after my daughter Kaitlyn was born, I overheard her dad misspelling her name to a well-wisher on the phone!)
    Pulling off the perfect Christmas also requires an understanding of the nuances of giblet gravy, an ability to whip up an angel costume in twenty minutes or less, and a mastery of the perfect pie crust. (My secret? After I remove the pie crust from the freezer, I make sure I peel off the cellophane and cardboard label before pouring in the filling.)
    Women have these skills. Men don’t.
    This is why you can’t convince me that Mrs. Claus isn’t the unsung hero. Don’t tell me she’s not behind the scenes, coaching her husband every step of the way. I can hear her now, peering over his shoulder as he makes out the gift list: “Santa, honey, don’t even THINK about giving that new garage door remote to newlywed Mrs. Jones. She’s going to be much happier with the perfume. Trust me.”
    I can see her following him to the sled with last-minute shopping instructions: “Target has special holiday hours, so you don’t have to rush. There’s a sale on Pokémon backpacks at Sears, and whatever you do, DON’T go to Bath World—this is Wednesday and senior citizens get a 10 percent discount, so the place will be crowded and you won’t be able to maneuver the aisles for the walkers. Did you remember the list? Your wallet? Good. And if I’m not here when you get home, the Scotch tape is in the top left desk drawer, and wrapping paper’s in the hall closet.”
    I can even hear her coaching her husband as he’s getting dressed on Christmas Eve: “I don’t care if anyone sees you or not. The black dress socks and baseball cap are tacky. Wear something else. And don’t try to tell me your red suit is dirty, because I picked it up from the cleaners just this morning.”
    If you’re like me, you take your role as Christmas-maker very seriously. Indeed, Christmas is upon us and right about now you and I are toting lists of about two million last-minute things that need doin’ before December 25th. It’s not that men and kids don’t help with the planning, shopping, cooking, and decorating but, if women were removed from the picture, Christmas dinners would include tater tots and two out of three gifts would come from Home Depot.
    Christmas depends on us, ladies. The success of the coming holiday is on our shoulders.
    Yes, women make Christmas.
    It’s our labor of love.
    Which makes me think of another woman, a woman for whom