I remember my parents disappearing all day on Christmas Eve. They would travel to Hattiesburg, MS, from McComb, for last minute gift buying. It wasn’t a matter of proscratination. The way life was set up for them and the way life is set up for many of us, there ends up being not enough time in the weeks leading up to Christmas to look for presents. Funds don’t become available until the last minute. Things come up and the buying plan of action (layaways, Christamas-clubbing, online shopping, etc) doesn’t always work out the way we imagined.

So, this Christmas Eve, my family and I are actually heading to Hattiesburg to experience the last minute shopping tradition, which I am perfectly fine with. Another thing I am perfectly fine with is whatever is remaining in the stores. It is obviously meant to be claimed by me! Someone put the product down at the register. It’s the only size remaining– the size I need. The mark down was bigger than I thought it would be. Those are the blessings I always encounter with last minute shopping. I know there’s stuff I need to get. I have no specific things in mind. It may be chaotic. It may result in a headache. But I foresee a blessing, simply because I have very few expectations. This is me with my at Waffle House prior to making the drive east. Another blessing: I have been trying to go out for breakfast with these beautiful humans for months! Finally, we bonded over my favorite meal of the day. So, in essence, the blessing happened prior to our arrival at Turtle Creek Mall.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Remember to embrace your version of perfect this holiday season. And if you’re last-minuting it like we are, don’t forget to recognize the blessings waiting for you out there in the midst of chaos.

Clinnesha D. Sibley is an award-winning playwright and published poet/essayist. She is the Literary Arts Instructor at Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven, MS. For more information, please visit: http://onepagerapp.com/clinneshadsibley.