“U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi.” That memorable phrase
from the stellar film “Wildcats” kept tumbling through my mind as I attended an
Ugly Christmas Sweater office party this week. If beauty is truly in the eye of
the beholder, then it stands to reason that ugly is in the eye of the beholder
as well, and the attire of the party-goers attested to that truth.
It was a brilliant concept, for while most of the attendees
work in the same building, they are separated by floors and departments, and
the sweaters served as a natural icebreaker among those who didn’t know each
other well. Fortunately, we were spared some of the more bizarre get-ups found
on the ugly Christmas sweater websites, which, if you want to check them out,
are located right next to the twenty-five adorable Christmas cat photos. Rather
surprisingly, no one came as a matching pair of camels, dogs, or snowmen, nor
did anyone wear a Christmas tree skirt. Whew!
I also discovered that an Ugly Christmas Sweater benefit in
Kansas City has raised over $100,000 for charity since its inception in 2005.
What a great idea. Perhaps Ev DeVaul and his United Way dream-it-up team will
run with that one next year.
I had quite the dilemma as I tried to decide what to wear
for this festive occasion. My daily dress for more than thirty-five years was
navy blue and white, but at Christmas, I liked to top off my Salvation Army
work uniform with a festive sweater for our nightly kettle counting parties.
I’m ashamed to admit that I have an entire tub of Christmas finery – socks,
scarves, pajama pants, and some pretty garish sweaters – and my prized “You’re
going to shoot your eye out’ tee-shirt. Reviewing my choices for the party, I
determined that if I ever need to stave off bankruptcy, I could auction off a
few of my sweaters for the next ugly Christmas sweater event. Yes, I really did
wear those once upon a time.
Now I’m afraid I will hesitate to choose a sweater from my
collection the next time I need an extra dash of holiday spirit, in case
someone might ask me if I’m on my way to an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Note
to self – don’t go there – if you begin to feel self-conscious, just replay the
words the lovely Madelyn Simone utters
so often: “that’s so beautiful, Nana.”
Sometimes, in the midst of a life crowded with deadlines, drama,
and duty, we need to pause and put on a Christmas sweater that’s over-the-top,
bordering on the ugly side, a sweater that sparkles or shines, that brings a
smile to the faces of those around us and keeps us from taking ourselves too
seriously. Sometimes we need to pause and make snow angels in the yard or sing
along with Dave and the Chipmunks as they warble their way through a medley of
carols.
I am grateful for the ugly yet beautiful sweaters of
Christmas, but I’m also thankful for the more serious moments of celebration
and warmth. I’ve loved these words from Bess Streeter Aldrich forever: “Christmas
Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it
warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart . . . filled it, too, with a
melody that would last forever. Even though you grew up and found you could
never quite bring back the magic feeling of this night, the melody would stay
in your heart always - a song for all the years.”
Here’s wishing you just the right blend of ugly sweater
moments accompanied by the shawl of song-filled memories as you savor the days
of Christmas 2013. And I promise that if I see you in a cheerful holiday
sweater, I’ll refrain from bursting out in “don we now our gay apparel” or asking
you if you’ve been shopping at Goodwill.
Instead, I’ll be sure to tell you how breath-taking you look! Merry
Christmas to all!
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