Monday, November 8, 2010

Christmas-I am a Scrooge

You might want to call me Scrooge but I don't really see it that way. I love Christmas, but Christmas in its present form is a bummer to me.
I love decorations, lights, parties, the food, the air, the carols, all of these I love and look forward to. Then I remember that I am required to buy at least gifts for my immediate family, probably a few gift exchanges at parties, and maybe some other extra ones and Christmas becomes stressful.
I would much rather make my gifts or, better yet, not have gifts at all except for the kids.I love giving gifts but having the pressure of buying that many at one time,being expected to do it, and spending that much money takes any joy out of it. I think gifts should be a symbol of thinking of someone. I feel more like it is a test.
It is also stressful on my budget and I feel like people say they understand but don't really. If I didn't buy gifts for anyone I don't think they would be very happy and if I spent very little, they would say "thanks" but it would mean "this is lame." I cannot forsee anyone else agreeing with me or, at least, anything being done about it. So Christmas will never be a completely joyful holiday for me.
Gifts should be spontaneous and because you see something you remember someone wanted or because you just feel such a burst of love and want to show it some way. Also, never give coupons you make as a gift because people never redeem them. If Elijah ever makes some for me I will redeem them because it is insulting when people don't. It is like they think you did it to get off the hook when really it was a thoughtful way to not go outside your budget.
It isn't that I don't give, I do, but I would like to give of my time and effort and if I have it, money, but I don't want to feel like I have to and for a bunch of people at one time.
I love my family so much, I would love that Christmas should be a time of just spending with people you love and eating good food and watching kids open a couple of presents each and singing about our Saviour, looking at a transformed city of decorations and lights...

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