Amanda Lamb: The season of yes

“Yes, I’ll bring the cookies for the party,” I hear myself saying as if my brain is on auto-pilot.

“Yes, I would like to shop for another ‘Giving Tree,’” I say as my child hands me yet another list of items for a child in need.

“Yes, we can go to that party. We have a couple of other events that night, but we’ll make it work.”

There’s something maddening about this time of year when everyone is so busy and everything is so chaotic, but as mothers, for some unknown reason beyond our control, we are determined to say “yes” to everything that comes our way. I think its because the alternative, “no,” sounds so harsh given the nature of the requests.

“No, we are not building another gingerbread house that’s going to fall apart an hour after I painstakingly glue the walls and roof together with icing.”

“No, we are not going to Target and buy socks and a winter coat for a child on the ‘Giving Tree,’ (when most kids are asking for iPads.)”

It just doesn’t feel right, does it? So, we say “yes” to everything, well almost everything, and we figure out how to make it all work. I’m a little bit of a Scrooge in that in December I long for January sometimes when the needs are more easily scheduled and not so close together. But for now, the “Season of Yes” is in full-swing.

“Mom, can I have a sleepover after the Christmas parade?”

“Yes!”

“Mom, can you take me and my friends to a holiday party tonight?”

“Yes!”

“Mom, can you take me to the mall with my friends tomorrow so we can go Christmas shopping?”

“Yes!”

“Mom, can you get me a peppermint latte at Starbuck’s while you’re out?”

Hmmmm, I think I just found something I can give a resounding “no” to ...