Merry (Bah! Humbug!) Christmas

I am not a huge fan of the holiday season. The shopping, the expectations, the bad food,the family members that I tolerate once a year just to keep Grams happy.  I have never really been into Christmas, except when my kids were little. The look of joy on my eldest’s face when she unwrapped a toy vacuum cleaner at the tender age of 2 was priceless. She played with that thing more than the, shall not be named, expensive, giggling puppet she got that same year. I don’t put up lights on my house.I don’t wear goofy sweatshirts with festive motif’s. I have been known to wear a used bow on Christmas day, but only under protest.

This has been a tough year at the Hellwig household. Medical issues, job problems, car problems, teenagers… all conspire to make me forget what “The Holidays” are all about. Leaving aside any religious connotations, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are about our loved ones. Up until about a week ago there were going to be no presents under the tree for anyone in my family. The last week of November my car died, to the extent of needing a new engine. It was cheaper to junk it and buy a beater to get us through, well the beater needed more repairs than I thought. There goes the Christmas fund, snus and snuff fund and a few other meaningless funds. Back to Bah! Humbug!

As things generally do, a week ago something came up. A check I had given up on 8 months ago showed up.  OK, well we can get groceries and gifts for the kids. My mom called and asked how much it would cost to rent a car, load up the kids and spend Christmas with her in Myrtle Beach, I pulled a number out of my ear thinking there is no way my “seasoned citizen” mother can afford this. She said the money would arrive in my mailbox with time to spare. To top the whole thing off a good friend sent MrsMick and I a big envelope containing some of our favorite snus.  Another friend and I traded some snuff, he tossed in some extras that went way beyond what was agreed upon. It’s been a pretty good Christmas season so far.

All this after I gave my youngest several speeches about how Christmas this year was going to suck, and how she needed to remember that Christmas isn’t about presents. Yes, she’s getting gifts. I’m sure it’s not nearly what some of her friends will get. I have always believed the thought counts more than the money. My friend that sent snus didn’t spend a bunch, but he sent snus he knew we liked. Thunder Frosted, 02, and Onyx for me, Discreet for Mrs.Mick. That meant more to me than someone sending me 4 “Bag O’ Snus” from SnusCentral. The amount of money isn’t the point, the point is showing that you know the person and pay enough attention to them to know what they will like or want. Just spending butt-loads of cash is not Christmas. Hanging a million lights on your house and sending your electric bills in to the stratosphere is not Christmas. Spending quality time with your friends and loved ones , and showing them that you value them is truly what Christmas is about.

On another converging path…. none of my family except MrsMick smokes. Spending the holidays used to mean freezing my buns off standing outside in the snow and wind to get my nicotine fix. This year I will be sitting comfortably by the fire indoors and enjoying a variety of snus, with no complaining from family about the doors being opened and letting cold air in, or wet shoes tracking up the carpet.A lip full of snus is a wonderful thing while unwrapping gifts instead of wondering how soon it will be over so I can get a smoke break. The biggest problem is deciding what snus to take along.  V2’s excellent Julesnus and Thunder Frosted are definitely on the list.

Merry Christmas to all my friends at SnusCENTRAL, V2, Swedish Match and all 5 of my faithful fans. May your Holidays be blessed, safe and magical.

Mick Hellwig
WHAT I THINK (this Christmas) at SnusCENTRAL.org