The last
week before Christmas can be stressful as we start to count the things that
still need to be done. And isn’t that a
pity, that word “need”. There is so much
to be joyful about this time of year as we start the Spirit of Christmas,
enjoying our family, friends and colleagues.
But over this last century Christmas has become so commercial that we
lose sight of the real meaning of the season.
There is the religious aspect of
Christmas, the holy celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our savior. For most people today the story of Jesus’
birth and of religion as our basis for the holiday is really lost. The second part of this season is that hand
in glove with the first, we want to celebrate with gladness and goodness to
those around us. This part seems to
still exist to a very generous degree, but at the same time it seems to take
over our life in a very material way.
The truth is that we shouldn’t
overwhelm our family and friends with outrageously expensive things. It is nice to give a little something that
shows we have thought of them. If it
doesn’t happen then we shouldn’t feel bad.
We are adults, leave the gifts for the little ones, and even then, let’s
be sensible about it and not go in debt to give a 6 year old an iPad.
I love giving; I really enjoy it
when I can find something meaningful or thoughtful to give to a friend. I get excited when I find a bargain which I
can put to good use. This year I had a
lot on my mind and wasn’t able to prowl the stores like I usually do so I
didn’t find the surprises of past years.
But I won’t beat myself up about it; this was the year of less in my
world. And that’s okay. My heart is in the right place, my family and
friends know that (I hope) and I plan to enjoy the holidays as a restful
time. I hope you can do the same.
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