The Scales

Candy Christmas, originally uploaded by North Idaho Dad.

Christmas is behind us, both figuratively and literally. In this the final week of the year, almost every one of us at some point will hesitantly step upon the bathroom scale and watch with trepidation as the needle ascends like a rocket before wobbling to a halt upon a number far higher than we really wanted to see.

The garishly-wrapped generosity we expend upon others is ultimately balanced through self-indulgent consumption. Sugar cookies, peppermints, gumdrops, candycanes, eggnog, almond-bark covered pretzels, gingerbread men draped in hyperglycemic colors not found in nature--not to mention the turkey, the glazed ham, the cranberry sauce, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes...the list is endless.

We step upon the creaking metal and gaze aghast at the numeric representation of our newly-shaped behind, and we ask ourselves why, why did we eat all that? Why didn't we obey the vow we made last year not to eat so much this Christmas? Then we drag the exercise equipment out of the basement for a week or two. And we vow to never again--never again!--eat so much at Christmastime.