The White Rabbit Syndrome

So, I am always late. I don't want to be this kind of person, especially since my very punctual former-Army Sgt. husband hates it when we're late, but I've decided I'm going to name it a syndrome and say that I "suffer."

Some people are late for appointments, dinner, work, deadlines -- I have the added bonus of being late for life. I am the queen of belated birthday cards, belated wedding and baby gifts, belated homework, belated everything. I just realized that I have four wedding gifts to buy, at least 2 new baby gifts, and half a dozen birthday wishes still to acquire and pass out. I'm terrible. And it's not that I forgot, and it's not that they aren't a priority, it's that I genuinely ran out of time! Or at least, that's what I've been consoling my horrible guilt with.

I LOVE my friends and family (who doesn't, right?) but I think I am rebelling against the obligatory gifts and cards by doing nothing. You know what I want for my birthday from my family??? Dinner out. That's it. Just dinner out - and I'll even pay my share! I don't want trinkets (although they are usually really, really cute!) and I don't want clothes (God forbid!). I wish I could do the same for my friends & family who I "owe" gifts, because I'm not going to spend hours and hours of time that I don't have crafting something that even I'd probably throw away.

I can make plans, but the gifts are adding up and Christmas is a blink away, and I'm starting to resent the "gift" column in my yearly budget.

This year, people are getting coupon books.