“Mom Says Santa’s Not Coming…”

It’s Christmas Eve, and the end of 2010 is upon us. For me, it’s been a mostly successful year, in spite of the elephant (in the room) in my life getting ever larger. But no matter how large that elephant gets, I have to stop and think how fortunate I am, how the lot of us are, especially this holiday season. The economy is recovering, but there are loads out there still suffering.

I was out at the Limited today, looking for a few new pairs of pants, namely a brown or mauve pair to replace the one I had that is now several sizes too big (and that’s no exaggeration: last year I was a size 12, now I’m a size 4 or 6 depending on the brand and fit).

Whilst looking through the different suitsets, I bumped into a young boy, about six or seven years of age. I stepped aside as he wandered around looking aimlessly at the suits. As I looked through some of the silk blouses, I saw a sales clerk approach him. The sales clerk asked him if he was lost; he replied that he was with his cousin and aunt, who were the ones shopping in the store.

“Very nice! I’m sure you are excited for Santa coming to your house tonight?” she then asked.

The boy shook his head. “Mom says Santa’s not coming anytime until Dad gets a job.”

My eyebrows shot up. Ouch. I mean, seriously, ouch. Talk about a reality check.

I looked around for the family members in question for potentially any hint of embarrassment, but presumably they were still inside the fitting room. The associate’s face however turned red; I figured this would have been a more common occurrence in 2008 and 2009, but even this year, whilst the economy is recovering, there are a lot of people out there that are food-insecure or not able to celebrate for lack of money.

I imagine that whilst we all have our own sets of problems out there, we could all be a lot worse.

That said, I hope whilst we celebrate with our family and friends, we also take some time to at least think of, hope for, and pray (if you pray of course) for those less fortunate in the world.

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and all the best for a good, or better 2011. Safe travels to everyone that has to hit the road (don’t drive if intoxicated please!!!), the train tracks (as was the case for me) or the skies to see loved ones.

Cheers everyone.

Why I Love Macy’s…

…because when you score a bargain, you really score!

If you’re in downtown Philly, and if you’ve lived there for awhile, you should know by now the Macy’s on 13th and Market at times will have the most insane sales. I’ve gotten some designer clothing for horribly cheap even cheaper than the bargains back in Lancaster County.

Today’s deal – probably IMO the deal of the year – pair of shiny silver shoes with low heels, just above ballet flat level. They are Cole Haans, originally $220 – sold as early as this summer, got them off the clearance rack for $37 with coupons and all.

And as a runner with protonated feet, I need another pair of low heeled killer shoes for the suits that I have to wear whilst at clients. I’ve got to avoid high heels at all possible now.

All I can say…just insanely good quality (brand name designer shoes, comfort and needed for formal business attire) at that price, that just made my day.