Christmas Carols -Too Much of a Good Thing?

I love listening to Christmas music, and, even though I'm not a good singer, I love to sing along.

When Christmas rolls around, I drag out our special musical wreath and hang it on the front porch. The wreath has a string of lights imbedded in it and a music box attached. It plays six Christmas tunes in a continuous loop. The music is catchy. The music is loud. If you're any where near the front of the house, you can hear the songs. I love it.

I hit the play button every evening when I turn on the Christmas lights. Shortly thereafter someone else in the house hits the stop button.

"Why do you like listening to the same songs all the time?" Grandchild #1 says. "Don't you get tired of it?" She's the one who blasts the same CD in the bathroom while taking a shower at 11 p.m. each night.

"That is so annoying," Grandchild #2 says. "The whole neighborhood can hear it." I want to tell him that he and his friends are also annoying when the whole neighborhood can hear them playing outside.

"Turn that crap off," Husband says, grabbing the TV remote. "It's time for O'Reilly."

Away from home, I sing along with the radio and hum as I'm buzzing through stores. It puts me in a festive mood as I try not to think about how much I'm spending.

Yesterday while I was at Macy's I was enjoying the music and getting energized listening to the upbeat song, "All I Want for Christmas is You."  Every time that song comes on the radio while I'm driving I turn it up and sing along. The lyrics give me chills. Sometimes the lyrics make me cry. People in other cars give me strange looks.

Apparently not everyone shares my love for that song. While I was paying for a gift, two Macy's cashiers were discussing Christmas music, oblivious to the fact that they were waiting on a customer, I guess.

"I'm so sick of that song," says Cashier #1 as she folds a sweater.

"Me, too," said Cashier #2 as she rings up my order. "I'll be glad when Christmas is over so we don't have to listen to it any more."

By the time I left the Service Counter I was bummed. "Bah, humbug," I mumbled. Then another song came on and I was humming along again.

How about you? Do you get tired of listening to Christmas carols? Or do you love the way they make you feel and are a bit sad when it's time to take down the tree, bundle up the lights, and turn off the music?