'Twas The Night Before The Night Before Christmas

Mike sits alone watching the news in the early evening of the 23rd of December. It features a report on the desperate last-minute shopping for this Christmas’s ‘must-have’ toy. His wife, Cyn, arrives home, arms laden with even more presents for their grandchildren. She is in a good mood, but immediately, Mike bemoans her free-spending attitude. Cyn asks Mike why her once Christmas-loving husband has such a downer on the festive season. He comes out with many excuses, but it’s the commercialism of it that he keeps coming back to. Cyn doesn't believe for a moment that this is the real reason, and as she questions Mike on what he does like, it appears he is carefully guarding the real reason. She notices him glance at a photograph of their daughter and grandchildren taken the previous Christmas Day. Mike finally confesses the true reason behind his malaise – he feels old. It is his first Christmas in his 60s, and he confesses that age may prevent him from enjoying the celebrations and traditions of Christmas. Cyn manages to convince him that age is just a number, and he is using the excuse to become disappointed and resentful of Christmas. As Mike stares at the photo, he realises that his wife is right, as usual. There is much to look forward to and enjoy, including an imminent night before, the night before Christmas tradition – a lovely Chinese takeaway for two.