Remember in the movie, A Christmas Story, all Ralphie wants for Christmas is an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time” ? That phrase was used 28 times in the movie, averaging once every 3 minutes and 20 seconds. We get the idea, no doubts.

On Christmas morning, as everyone is tearing through wrapping paper at warp speed, and he opens up the pink bunny suit from Aunt Clara, his insides fairly fall out. And then, of course, his mom makes him put it on, and everyone laughs (except Ralphie) at his ridiculousness.

But then, at the end of the present-palooza, his dad aims him at one last gift he missed:
the “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.” He is, naturally, overcome with joy.

And honestly, don’t we shoot for moments like that at Christmas? We so often drive ourselves a tiny bit crazy,  trying to create the Red Ryder experience instead of the bunny pajama fallout.

We just want to make everybody’s Christmas “special.”  And that can be difficult.

If you’re feeling this, here’s some help with that…

NOTE:
A Christmas Story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story