Behind The Sunglasses

Or How Santa Outsourced His Entire Operation to Me!

Behind the Sunglasses — No Filters. No Perfect Life. Just Jo. 😎❤️

Apparently, I have a problem.

I start preparing for Christmas in October.

OCTOBER!

And every year, without fail, somebody feels the need to tell me how ridiculous that is.

“Christmas already, Jo?”

“Isn’t it a bit early?”

“Oh my God, you’re counting down AGAIN?”

YES, I BLOODY AM!

And?

Am I interfering with your life? Am I forcing you to wear reindeer antlers? Have I turned up at your house in October demanding you sing Jingle Bells?

No?

Then leave me and my Christmas countdown alone! 🤣

Here’s something I’ve learned in life, particularly after the year I’ve had.

If something makes you happy, DO MORE OF IT!

And Christmas makes me happy.

Not just Christmas Day.

The whole glorious, ridiculous, sparkly build-up.

The planning. The decorations. The shopping. The little surprises.

And OH MY GOD, the wrapping!

Give me beautiful wrapping paper, ribbons, tags, a pile of presents and a few uninterrupted hours, and I am in my absolute glory.

I love working everything out. Who gets what. Which paper goes with which ribbon. How to make every present look special.

Some people meditate.

I wrap presents.

Same bloody thing, really.

Except my meditation involves sticky tape, scissors and the occasional very colourful word when the ribbon refuses to cooperate.

And why should I cram all that happiness into the last two weeks of December just because somebody else thinks that’s when Christmas should officially begin?

If I want three months of Christmas, I’ll have three months of Christmas.

Besides, there’s a very good reason I start early.

I RUN A BUSINESS.

And let me tell you, Christmas in the business world is a completely different bloody animal.

December: The Month Everyone Suddenly Remembers Everything

You know that lovely time of year when people start winding down?

Booking holidays.

Planning their Christmas lunches.

Setting their out-of-office messages.

Looking forward to a well-earned break.

Wonderful, isn’t it?

Except apparently, while everyone else is winding down, we’re expected to wind UP!

Suddenly, every job is urgent.

Every quotation needs to be submitted.

Every outstanding issue must be resolved.

Every project that has been sitting around for months suddenly becomes a national emergency.

“Jo, we really need this completed before Christmas.”

Oh, DO YOU?

How fascinating!

Because you’ve had the entire bloody year!

But now that your holiday is approaching, apparently it’s my responsibility to perform a Christmas miracle.

Their work is done.

Their bags are packed.

Their out-of-office message is practically singing Silent Night.

And we’re left sorting out the shit they’ve suddenly remembered.

Merry bloody Christmas to us! 😂

And while all this is happening, we’re still running a business, looking after our clients, organising staff, dealing with breakdowns and trying to finish the year without losing our minds.

But wait!

There’s more.

Because apparently, running the business isn’t enough.

Somewhere along the way, Santa decided to outsource his entire Christmas department to me.

Welcome to Santa’s Corporate Headquarters

Let’s start with the hampers.

Oh, the hampers!

Choosing them, organising them, checking who’s getting what, making sure nobody has been forgotten.

Then the Christmas labels.

The gifts.

The deliveries.

The Christmas cards.

The office decorations.

The staff Christmas party.

And of course, the annual debate over when the office Christmas tree should go up.

Honestly, you’d think we were negotiating an international peace treaty.

“It’s too early!”

“No, it’s not!”

“Where are the decorations?”

“Who’s putting the tree up?”

Well, apparently ME, or at least I’m the one making sure it happens!

Meanwhile, the actual work hasn’t disappeared.

There are still jobs to finish, invoices to sort, clients to keep happy, staff to coordinate and a whole year to wrap up.

And I’m supposed to do all this while radiating festive joy.

HO HO BLOODY HO! 🎅🤣

The Great Christmas Wine Scandal

Now, let’s discuss the wine.

Every year, I spend time choosing wine for client Christmas gifts.

Looking at different bottles.

Comparing options.

Trying to find something decent.

Something people will enjoy.

Something that says, Thank you for your support throughout the year.

There is, however, one tiny complication.

I DON’T DRINK WINE!

Not a drop!

So there I am, trying to make an educated decision about something I don’t even drink.

Reading descriptions.

Asking questions.

Trying to understand whether a bottle is supposedly wonderful or tastes like fermented furniture polish.

And then, one year, a client actually rang me.

Not to thank us.

Not to wish us Merry Christmas.

Oh no.

To tell me:

“Your wine was crap this year!”

YESSSSS!

THANK YOU!

What a lovely festive phone call!

I’ll be sure to pass your feedback directly to my imaginary vineyard! 🤣

I mean, seriously!

I’m running a fire services company, not Château de Jo!

Perhaps next year I’ll send you a fire extinguisher instead.

At least I know something about those!

Five Hundred Christmas Cards and One Very Bad Idea

Then there are the Christmas cards.

Over FIVE HUNDRED of them.

Five. Hundred.

Let that sink in.

The cards have to be organised.

The labels prepared.

The envelopes addressed.

The stamps purchased.

Everything checked, packed and posted.

And yes, I actually enjoy Christmas cards.

I love the tradition.

I love the personal touch.

But after card number 347, even Santa himself would probably start questioning his life choices.

So one year, we had what I thought was a brilliant idea.

Let’s send e-cards!

Modern technology!

Save paper.

Save postage.

Save time.

Save my sanity!

GENIUS!

Or so I thought.

Because then the phone calls started.

“Jo, where’s our Christmas card?”

Well, we sent an e-card this year.

“Oh, but we always put your Christmas cards on our tree for the residents to read!”

Oh.

Well, shit.

How do you argue with that?

You don’t.

Because suddenly, those five hundred cards aren’t just another administrative nightmare.

They’re something people look forward to.

A little tradition.

A little bit of Christmas cheer hanging on a tree in an aged care home.

And honestly?

That got me.

Because underneath all the madness, I do love knowing that something so small can make somebody smile.

So back we go.

Five hundred cards.

Five hundred envelopes.

A mountain of labels.

And enough stamps to make Australia Post very happy.

Apparently, my brilliant digital revolution lasted about five minutes.

And Don’t Forget the Staff Christmas Party!

Because while I’m busy selecting wine I don’t drink, organising cards that nobody wants electronically, and fighting for the office Christmas tree…

There’s still the staff Christmas party!

Finding somewhere suitable.

Organising the date.

Making arrangements.

Making sure everyone knows what’s happening.

Trying to bring the team together after another long, exhausting year.

And despite all my complaining, I actually love that part too.

I love seeing everyone relax.

I love the laughter.

I love the chance to celebrate what we’ve achieved.

Because running a business isn’t easy.

Some years are bloody hard.

And when you finally get everyone together, away from the phones, the deadlines and the constant demands, it’s lovely to remember that we’re more than just people trying to get through another working day.

We’re a team.

Even if I occasionally feel like strangling the entire lot of them by mid-December! 😂

So yes, when people ask why I start preparing for Christmas in October…

NOW DO YOU BLOODY UNDERSTAND?!

By December, I’m not simply celebrating Christmas.

I’m running a business, coordinating a small festive distribution centre, managing a corporate vineyard I don’t own, and attempting to keep Santa’s reputation intact.

October isn’t early.

October is SURVIVAL!

But Here’s the Funny Thing…

Despite all that madness, I genuinely love Christmas.

I love the spirit of it.

I love the anticipation.

I love making things beautiful.

I love giving.

I love seeing people happy.

And perhaps that’s why I make such a fuss.

Because Christmas wasn’t always like that for me.

Growing up in Mauritius, Christmas could be stressful.

The December heat was dreadful, and I remember how it affected us, especially Dad.

There was sometimes a heaviness in the house.

Christmas didn’t always feel particularly magical.

And Mauritius, with its wonderful mixture of cultures, religions and traditions, has its own way of celebrating. That’s another story for another day.

But perhaps, somewhere along the way, I decided Christmas was going to be different in my own home.

I wanted colour.

Laughter.

Excitement.

Traditions.

A house that felt happy.

And when Thais was little, I loved creating that magic for her.

Perhaps I was also creating a little bit of the Christmas magic I’d wished for myself.

Funny how life works, isn’t it?

Christmas Eve, Japan… and a Chicken! 🇯🇵🍗

Now, here’s something that might surprise you.

For all my love of Christmas, I don’t actually need a house full of people to enjoy it.

Last year, I spent Christmas Eve alone in Japan.

Yes.

ALONE.

Mirko wasn’t arriving until the 26th.

And before anyone starts imagining me sitting miserably in a hotel room, staring out the window while a sad violin plays in the background…

STOP!

I was perfectly happy!

I had my little Christmas tree.

I had my own little celebration.

And I had a festive Christmas meal.

CHICKEN!

Yes, chicken! 🤣

Because in Japan, Christmas chicken is practically an institution.

People preorder it.

It’s hugely popular.

And if you leave it too late, good luck getting some!

So there I was.

Christmas Eve.

Japan.

My little tree.

My festive chicken.

No enormous lunch to cook.

No mountain of dishes.

No running around checking whether everyone had enough food.

No client ringing to complain about the wine!

Just me.

Enjoying Christmas in my own little way.

And I absolutely loved it.

Because that’s the thing.

Christmas doesn’t have to look a certain way to be special.

Sometimes it’s a house full of people.

Sometimes it’s a beautifully wrapped present.

Sometimes it’s a handwritten card hanging on an aged care Christmas tree.

And sometimes it’s one woman sitting in Japan, eating chicken beside a tiny Christmas tree, thinking life is pretty bloody wonderful.

And Maybe One Day…

There’s another little Christmas dream I have.

Nothing guaranteed.

Nothing anyone owes me.

Just a dream.

Maybe one day, I’ll be making Christmas lunch for my grandchildren.

Imagine that.

My big house full of little feet running around.

Toys everywhere.

Wrapping paper all over the floor.

Children sneaking chocolates before lunch.

And me in the kitchen, cooking enough food to feed half of Mauritius!

Perhaps Thais will be sitting at the table, watching her own children enjoying the magic she once experienced here.

And I’ll look around and think…

Oh, how lovely it is to hear this house full of laughter again.

Of course, I don’t know whether that day will ever come.

And that’s entirely up to how life unfolds.

But I’m allowed to have my little dream.

Perhaps that’s another reason I love Christmas so much.

It’s not only about remembering the beautiful Christmases we’ve had.

It’s about believing there might still be beautiful ones ahead.

So, About That October Countdown…

I know some people think I’m ridiculous.

I know my Christmas preparations start earlier than most.

I know I probably spend far too much time choosing ribbons and wrapping paper.

I know the office Christmas madness will arrive whether I’m ready or not.

And I know there’s a very good chance somebody will complain about the wine again.

But here’s the thing.

Life isn’t always easy.

Some years are filled with things we’d rather not experience.

There are losses.

Worries.

Changes.

Days when simply getting through everything feels like an achievement.

And if, in the middle of all that, I find something that makes me genuinely happy…

Why on earth would I ration it?

Why would I wait until December?

Why would I let somebody else’s idea of what’s normal decide how much joy I’m allowed to have?

If something makes you happy, DO MORE OF IT.

Put the tree up.

Buy the wrapping paper.

Start the countdown.

Make the plans.

Enjoy the anticipation.

Have Christmas chicken in Japan if that’s what makes you smile!

And if anyone thinks you’re ridiculous?

Well, they don’t have to join in.

They can start their Christmas on December 24th for all I care.

I’ll be over here, happily wrapping presents, organising hampers, arguing about the office tree and pretending I know something about wine.

And probably planning next Christmas before this one is even over.

Because after everything life throws at us, I think we deserve to hold on to the things that make us happy.

Even the ridiculous little things.

Especially those.

Now, if you’ll excuse me…

I’ve got Christmas presents to wrap, a tree to decorate, five hundred cards to organise, and apparently a vineyard to run.

MERRY BLOODY CHRISTMAS! 🎄🤣❤️

No filters. No perfect life. Just Jo. 😎❤️