Competition gets the holiday spirit flowing

By By Leada Gore, Editor
There are few words that strike more fear in my husband’s heart than “It’s time to decorate for Christmas.”
Greg has been known to hide (as in go to Lowe’s for two hours or more) while I try to get the house ready for the holidays. This year, however, I told him if we wanted to have things done before Dec. 25, he was going to have to help.
He grudgingly agreed and decided the sooner he got busy, the sooner it would be done. He proceeded to work quickly and get everything down from the attic. He even tackled the task of putting up the large tree.
While I worked downstairs, he managed to get the tree assembled and solved the mystery of which light was causing the entire tree to stay dark. He then devised an assembly line for decorating. He unpacked the ornaments and handed them to Sutton. She then handed them to me who placed them on the tree. We were soon finished.
He smiled a smile of relief and headed outside, a move I guess was meant to put as much distance between him and another possible honey-do list.
He was only gone a couple of minutes, however, when I heard the door open again. He went up the stairs and into the attic. I saw him lugging some large outdoor decorations to the front yard.
I was speechless.
I had pretty much given up on getting much more than a wreath up outside, figuring I had cashed in all my Christmas chips in getting some tree decorating help.
Instead, Greg busied himself putting up the two trees beside the door and wrapping lights around the shrubbery.
I went outside to admire his handiwork and, before I could praise his initiative, I saw something across the street. Our neighbor had decorated his porch and was hanging a large pre-lit wreath on his front window. I knew immediately what had prompted Greg’s outburst of Christmas spirit.
He saw me looking at our neighbor’s effort and smiled.
So that’s how the outside of our house got decorated this year. I’d like to thank the neighbor, too. Without him – and a healthy dose of male competition – the Gore house would have probably been dark this year.