It’s finally here.  Christmas.  All the stressing out is over; trying to find this toy or that purse, spending as much as I can without putting us into ruin, getting everything wrapped and not being late, etc., etc…  You know, everything that’s so important around Christmastime.
   So I’m sitting here complaining, and tediously untying all of these little gray plastic coated wires, that are perfectly tied around each specific point on all my daughters new toys, holding them to their boxes, when I start thinking…Who tied these?  I start looking at the knots and how many there are on one toy, and how many of these toys are sold world-wide?  Manyof the toys we buy are manufactured in China, probably in sweat shops, and I think about the fingers that tied the wires, that I am now undoing.  Probably a cute little Chinese girl, not much older than my daughter, but an expert at tying little wire ties together, in the way she has been meticuously trained.  Her little calloused fingers, making knots, that we will soon undo.  She doesn’t even imagine the fleeting pleasure that will be experienced, due to her tedious, abusive labors.  I don’t think she get’s Christmas off…or any time off.  She works, eats, sleeps, then does it all again, day after day.  She probably wouldn’t be upset because 1 of her 30+ toys wasn’t exactly what she wanted.  She would most likely be satisfied just to see her family again.  Kind of puts it all into perspective…Merry Christmas!