I was born the same day as my brother. We have the same father and mother, but I'm not a twin, and never have been. What am I? ------------> A triplet, quadruplet, quintuplet, etc.
Wailing a lonely cry, the ancient iron gate swings slowly into the blackness of the must filled crypt. Then, silence. A long, deafening, mind piercing silence, which was broken, finally, by the heavy thuds of James' booted feet trodding heavily across the chill stone floor.
The Christmas gift giving spirit.
Alright... Let me get this straight... Christmas is a time when you are in a good mood, cheerful and jolly... You hand out gifts to family, friends, loved ones and the Salvation Army... you sing happy little Christmas songs. And with all of this joy, it is the number 1 most picked season to commit suicide in. Happy new Year!-but only if you make it that long.
Jean and I have talked a few times about how this whole gift thing is working this year... we each are following our own differing philosophies. Jean is buying inexpensive tokens of gratitude and friendship for only those people whom she knows are getting gifts for her, then she is also stocking up on White Elephants... Gifts you get with no one in mind so that when that forgotten buddy, discrete neighbor, or whomever comes and gives you a gift, you have something that you can pretend you got for them...
This Year I decided to be on the other end of the stick... that one guy who makes you feel a little twinge of guilt... I simply made a vow to get everyone something, and on some people I chose to spend a lot of money... an amount I could not possibly expect them to attempt to match. It started with gifts for my wonderful girlfriend... I was not sure what to get her, so I just kept getting ANYTHING that reminded me of her... well... I think about her a lot... I could have EASILY gone broke just on her, but after I spent what is probably far too much for her taste, I forced myself to stop... but I had other friends... everyone who MIGHT think of me when shopping (I figured) should be accounted for. I drained my bank account each time I went shopping. I spent never less than $10 total on anyone, and if my math is right, my average generosity was about $80 per person. If you think you got short ended, you should realize I spent more on my girlfriend, and that sort of messed up the scale a little...
But why should you EVER feel short-ended when it comes to gifts?
And why feel guilty for not having spent as much as you received or for having forgotten someone?
Because Christmas IS gift-giving.
Not a celebration of good things, or of the birth of Jesus... but gifts...
WHY give gifts?
You do it for every major holiday now...
You give gifts for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Valentines day, anniversaries, New Years ... Gag gifts on April first, but why is that the most important part of a holiday?
Mayhap it is time to reconsider this tradition. Time to think about trying something new, or something old... maybe it is time to learn to celebrate without gifts again. I know it would save me a bundle of cash, a load of heartache, a ton of headache, and a little time to boot.
Next occasion, give kindness, give love, give hope, and give heart.
More Wise Words
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