• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

Returning a Christmas Gift

January 5, 2023
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Hi Santa, I’m sorry, but I’d like to send this back.

Yes, I know we had asked for a Christmas break again this year, but this wasn’t quite what we had in mind.

You see, everyone got sick at different times—and the illnesses just kept coming. It was like counting birds in that Christmas carol…two trips to doctors, seven pharmacy visits, three medications to track down, and a partridge in a pear tree. Everyone knows that bubble-gum-flavored medicine is the worst, but beggars can’t be choosers, and somehow antibiotics are harder to find than Death Star Lego sets.

Don’t even ask how many tissues we went through. Talk about a white Christmas! You should have seen the piles.

Luckily, we fit in time together and even managed to see some of our relatives in between illnesses. That was a Christmas miracle.

The kids liked that the rules went out the window, and they could eat dinner in front of the TV. And, of course, everyone recovered in the end, and we’ll hold onto the fun memories, the way you always do.

The optimists in our lives say, “Good thing you got all the sickness out of the way.” Let’s hope that’s true.

The pessimists say, “Sick in the fall, sick all winter.” I might need to cross some of them off the Christmas card list.

Anyway, thank you for the Christmas break, even if it wasn’t what we had in mind. I did manage to do some Netflix watching, and I’m all caught up on The Crown.

Now that I think of it, it’s probably too late for you to take this gift back. We’ll just wait for next year’s break and try again.

Stay healthy, stock up on your vitamins, and give Rudolph our best.

P.S. If you’re looking for ideas for stocking stuffers next year, the kids like Twix and Starburst, but I think most of the parents would be delighted to find children’s Motrin. Maybe the elves could whip up a bit of that at the North Pole.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Copyright © 2023 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Reckoning with empire: A Catholic critique of American foreign policy in a nuclear age

Wide shot of a sunrise on the beach, with a figure standing toward the left watching the light come into the sky

We’re at the beach. Let’s go see the sunrise

The ‘both/and’ pope

Can AI help the church evangelize?

Children of Abraham: Let us find another way to peace

| Recent Local News |

Gun buyback exceeds expectations, previous totals

Radio Interview: The situation in Gaza with Catholic Near East Welfare Association

Patrick Brice sentenced to home detention for attacks on elderly pro-life supporters

Notre Dame of Maryland University joins with Milwaukee college to address teacher shortage

Sister Agnese Neumann dies at 95

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Following deadly steel plant explosion, Pittsburgh bishop calls for prayer
  • Trump federalizes DC police force, says homeless encampments will be removed
  • Statue of Confederate general known as anti-Catholic to be reinstalled in nation’s capital
  • Advocate pleads for Vatican aid as Russian adoption database shows Ukraine’s children
  • Salvadoran Catholic leaders speaking out more amid worries over democratic erosion
  • Catholics hail new California law to protect older teens from sex trafficking
  • Gun buyback exceeds expectations, previous totals
  • Calm seas, gentle breeze greet Connecticut bishop, faithful for ‘Blessing of the Fleet’
  • Pope prays world leaders recognize their responsibility for peace

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en