That Instant

you remember the second time you stopped observing holidays was in your clerking past because someone had to stock on the milk on Christmas when you're open 24 hours and someone had to polish floors the night of Thanksgiving and some parts of you do not change because if the world comes to a screeching halt...

and then you remember the first time you stopped observing holidays was in your kid past because they were insufferable exercises in guilt, backhanded shame, and trouble season far too often, and people should just be good to each other and give a shit on a regular basis instead of waiting for a stupid calendar coincidence to make up for welts...

and then you remember it's still a @#$%ing holiday and you're screwed either way so take a little time to treat yourself and carry on.