On Strike for Christmas Page #8

Come on. Sorry about that.

Yeah, you know how kids are.

And the food's in the dining room.

-Hello.

-Yeah. Thank you so much.

Okay, you guys have fun...

...but keep it down to a dull roar,

okay?

ls that all?

The galleys of Stephen's new book,

everybody.

Here you go.

-Mr. Ziff?

-Thank you.

-l'm sure you're gonna love it.

-Thank you.

Hey, baby.

-You are amazing.

-Love you.

Oh, look who's here.

-Hi.

-Hi.

l'm sorry we're late, but l have

something important to tell you.

Oh, my God.

-He used them?

-Sharon, l know, it's okay.

Sharon, what's the important

thing you have to tell me?

The TV news truck is here.

They're setting up to interview you.

Channel Eight. Like now.

Strike, strike, strike!

-There she is.

-Okay.

Hi, guys.

This way.

We're so happy that you came out.

This is great.

Hi.

So tell me, Mrs. Robertson,

what does this strike mean to you...

...and all these women

gathered here?

Well...

...l started my Christmas strike...

...because l wanted my family

to appreciate...

...all that there is to do around this

house, especially at Christmas time.

And for them to acknowledge

that l can't do it all myself. l need help.

And l was amazed to see...

...how this resonated with

so many women in this community.

Jeremy,

turn to channel eight real quick.

Mom's on TV.

Channel eight. Channel eight.

And l still believe

in my strike demands...

...l mean, goals.

ls that our house?

l still believe in my strike goals,

they just weren't met.

My strike goals weren't met

my way.

l thought Christmas

had to be perfect...

...especially this year.

So l put a lot of pressure on myself

and my family in the process.

Why did you do that?

Because l was afraid that

with my children growing up...

...l was becoming obsolete...

...and l needed to find a way

to slow life down...

...and to make my family appreciate

what l do...

...and what we have.

But what makes Christmas perfect

isn't what we do...

...it's our love for each other.

And it should bring us closer

and not split us apart.

l was hanging on so tightly...

...and now l realize that

it's really about letting go...

...and becoming even closer

in the process.

Letting each other grow

and change.

But what about the strike?

Where do you go from here?

Look, l know my family loves me,

and l love them.

And they've made me understand...

...that Christmas doesn't have to be

done my way to be wonderful...

...and it's not about the trappings,

it's about....

lt's about being together,

real and imperfect.

And l bet if you asked my guys

right now...

...they'd agree

that it's really important...

...to help and support each other.

At Christmas time

and all year round.

So really, my strike demands

have been met.

The message has been heard.

So l'm here to announce that

my Christmas strike is officially over.

And l ask everyone else,

on this Christmas Eve...

...that in the true spirit of Christmas,

you end yours too.

l guess mine is over too.

Yeah, she's right.

Thank you, Mrs. Robertson.

l work so hard every year.

Merry Christmas.

-Merry Christmas.

-l love you.

l love you so much.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

These are delicious.

You must have a very good recipe.

l do, but it's a secret.

A close friend just gave me the recipe

and, well, l can't share it.

You know, it's not exactly

as l would have done it...

...but l really like it.

-Mom?

-Mom.

-Joy?

-Mom. Mom.

l'm in the family room.

We have a surprise for you.

Yeah, l already saw it.

You guys did a great job. l love it.

Well, there's more. Jeremy.

So we all listened

to what you said last night.

And l just want you to know...

...that even when l'm at college,

you'll always be my number one...

-...in here.

-ln here.

-Love you, Mom.

-Love you too.

Mom, you do so much for us

and not just at Christmas.

And we really need to tell you more

and how much we appreciate it.

So thank you.

Joy, we know how important

Christmas is to you...

...because we're so important to you.

And you mean so much to us.

You don't have to worry about

this being our last, best Christmas.

Because we have made

the Robertson family demands...

...and we have all signed it.

On a paper towel.

''The Robertson family

Christmas demands.

We pledge to be together

and help each other every Christmas...

...and it doesn't have to be perfect...

...because being together as a family

is all that really matters.

Stephen, Mark and Jeremy.''

Okay.

Joy.

Oh, it's my editor.

Oh, l'm fine, honey. Go get it.

These turned out beautifully.

Oh, they did, didn't they?

l don't know how you got that lnternet

company to deliver all the gifts on time.

lt was easy.

l had Rosemary call and pretend...

...that she was doing a story

on consumer complaints...

...about companies that failed

to live up to their pledges...

...at the holidays and ruin them.

Now l know

where l get my militant streak.

And l actually liked the gifts.

l actually liked the candied yams,

better than mine.

l mean, not that l want to do this

every year, but....

My daughter, the micromanager...

...would actually consider doing

something another way.

Well, yes, if it encourages

the participation of the guys, l'm in.

And besides, l will always

micromanage you at the store.

Lucky me.

So, what did he want?

He said he wants my next book...

...to be about a modern family

dealing with the stresses of Christmas.

l think that one's been done already.

What did you say?

l told him l write fiction.

-Hey, are we ready?

-All set.

-ls what ready?

-Oh, you'll find out.

All right, we'd like to dedicate...

...this Christmas song

to Joy Robertson.

Rocking wife, mother, and daughter.

Hit it.

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