Maybe It’s Better at the Kids’ Table

Janie Emaus may be on to something. Who needs all that grown-up talk, anyway? Read more from Janie on her website.

We all know about the Kids’ Table. It’s where the younger generation sits at family gatherings. In my family, there was a large gap between generations. And so I found myself at The Kids’ Table well into my twenties.

Why I was in such a hurry to get to The Grown Up Table, I’ll never know. Because honestly The Kids’ Table is way more fun. Kids talk about dating, music, clothes, dancing, family gossip. You know, all the important stuff. Things in the moment. There is never any mention of bills or health issues or, and I’ll say it quietly – Taxes.

Which brings me to ponder this question: Why is it that Passover and Easter fall around Tax Time here in the United States? Inevitably, at some point during these dinner celebrations the conversation falls to that topic. Did you file yet? I’m filing an extension. Pass the matzo, please. I hope I don’t get audited.

So, I’ve been trying to decide when would be the best time to file our taxes. Definitely not in December. Because that “tis the season to be jolly.” And there isn’t much jolliness in filling our income taxes.

And January is definitely off limits. In January we’re paying off the credit card debts incurred over the holidays.

February isn’t any better. During this month we celebrate our nations finest presidents. Thinking about taxes would diminish the importance of those first important men who led our country to greatness.

In March, we celebrate the beginning of Spring. New life. New beginnings. We move our clocks forward, plant our feet facing the future. Definitely not a time to look back over the past year and calculate taxes.

We’ve already concluded that April is not a good time to pay taxes. April is the time for the Easter Bunny and the hiding of the matzo.

In May we have Memorial Day and begin looking forward to summer. We make payments toward summer camps and cottages. Who has time then to think about taxes or even the money to pay them?

June brings graduations, from preschool through college. No one wants to worry about taxes when planning life’s next big steps.

In July, we celebrate our country’s independence. When we broke away from our Mother country and all her tax obligations.

August and September are “back to school” months. Moms and dads flock to the stores buying backpacks, lunch boxes, school clothes and supplies, hoping that some of these expense are tax deductible.

And then comes Halloween. Who wants to evoke the ghosts of “taxes past?” The present taxes are scary enough.

Around the corner marches Thanksgiving. We have plenty to be thankful for and paying taxes is not one of those things.

And so we’ve come full circle and we’re back at December. I guess there never is the perfect time to look at that Tax Table.

Just as there isn’t a perfect time to move up to the Grown Up Table. In fact, I’d just as soon sit at The Kids’ Table whenever possible.

Please pass me the brisket along with some juicy family gossip. That kind of talk is much more enjoyable to swallow.