HOSTAGE TO THE SEASON

Another 
holiday season, 
snuck upon us, 
with Thanksgiving passed, 
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza 
and other December holidays 
just around the corner.

Children’s 

wish lists
grow faster than 
their hands can write, 
or tap on tablets today. 
Adults, 
take deep breaths, 
watching their debt 
exponentially grow 
as wish lists sprout.

From having 
the best next fad 
to the latest and greatest 
of what influencers propel and tout 
their followers as the next best thing. 
For their wallets, 
they will be taken hostage 
by the holidays pressure, yet,  
with not a ransom to be paid. 

Magic of the holidays, 
lost their sparkle, 
bells no longer jingle, 
colors not so bright, 
as once seen through 
an innocent child’s eyes.

All that is seen,
a sea of materialistic 
must have gifts, 
anxiously waiting 
to be torn apart 
in a fleeing 
moment’s 
excitement.

Watching 
children’s faces, 
smiles turned upside down, 
into a long drawn out frown. 
Expectations deflated, 
with the very first gift. 
many more waiting, 
with none enough. 
It’s with their 
last hope 
the final gift 
will be the one, 
they begged for 
with the hypnotic trance 
of every commercial played 
on television, radio and internet, 
every influencer’s stressing 
the must haves and the 
can’t be withouts and 
finished off with 

a trip to the mall.

The grown-ups, 
plant earliest memories into 
innocent children’s minds 
of holiday traditions, 
mystic secrets, 
secret myths,  
holiday gift giving 
and all the other magic 
the holiday season brings. 

What’s been forgotten, 
reasons for the season; 
gathering generations, 
family sharing stories, 
and creating 
many more 
new memories, 
celebrating traditions 
from generations past 
and eating seasonal delectables. 

By bedtime, 
children 
long lost interest 
in their shiny new toys, 
while,
adults long for a 
restful night of sleep,
hoping they fulfilled 
all their children’s 
wish lists and dreams. 

Yet, 
spending 
endless hours, 
of remembering, 
memories created, 
gathering together, 
seasonal flavors, 
are now nothing
more than
nostalgic memories, 
shared and spread
over generations.

Beyond the wrapping paper,  
beyond the gifts forgotten,  
what lingers is family; 
young and old 
gathering together, 
stories carried 
like lanterns spreading light, 
flavors mastered and passed, 
from a kitchen of yesterday,
to kitchen of today and
memories stitched together, 
like the warmth,
of a homemade quilt
pieced together across
multiple generations 
stitched together 
on this day.

In the evening’s quiet,

after the holidays frenzy, 
love of family and 
nostalgic memories 
remain as 
the only gift 
that does not fade, 
it’s the one that endures, 
with hopes children 
will treasure and
carry forward, 
long after
today’s fads, 
just simply 
fade away.