The cost of Christmas: who pays it and when.

I realize that Christmas Eve Day seems to be a rather poor time to be asking the question of who pays for the holiday magic but it seems to me that John's incessant whining about the bills only tells half the story. His aftermath is merely financial; Elly's aftermath is different but no less fussed over: every January, without fail, she moans piteously about how weak and indulgent she's been when she really hasn't over-indulged by any sort of rational standard.

Ah, well; worrying about how much weight she hasn't gained is a rather helpful distraction from having to realize that she paid the real price for the holidays before the gifts were opened. I am, of course, talking about how she spends most of December eithersick with the fear that one little thing will go wrong and spoil the Holidays for everyone or angry that she seems to be the only person who actually does anything to make the magic happen. While I do sympathize with her feeling as if she's totally responsible for making the day perfect, that sympathy fades because of her refusal to accept help.