So this is Christmas?
I swear every year about this time I grow to hate the holiday that much more. I respect the folks who actually keep it about the birth of Jesus or helping others and those who see it as a time for family togetherness.
Unfortunately in our culture it has quickly become the holiday of expectation. The faces I see in the stores are not jovial holiday elves, but people who look completely stressed out. Every time an SUV full of bags cuts me off, I feel sorry for the poor Mom who just braved the mall this time of year. I’m sure she is at her wit’s end.
Even with my own repeated announcement that I want no part of gift exchanging, their still comes disappointments and expectations. It seems like family is always the first to be let down and my free time is going to be filled the next few weeks trying to squeeze in a visit with everyone I know. At some point I’m going to end up letting somebody down because there is no way to fit everyone in.
Then there are the things you can not get out of. Work always has some sort of gift exchange where you have to bring a gift. Children also don’t understand an anti-commercialism stance so I get the kids in my immediate family something. I can not leave out my girlfriend, because like it or not she’ll be getting me gifts. So then even without taking part in the Christmas madness I have at least a handful of people to buy for.
Aside from the financial reasons to tap out for Christmas it just genuinely doesn’t bring happiness. You should get gifts for people because you want to and not out of some sense of obligation. Far worse is the feeling when somebody gets you something despite the fact you asked them not to. Then you feel terrible for not returning the gesture. Honestly I didn’t expect to live paycheck to paycheck in my 30s, but that is the cold hard reality of the situation. It doesn’t exactly inspire me to play Chris Cringle.
I swear every year about this time I grow to hate the holiday that much more. I respect the folks who actually keep it about the birth of Jesus or helping others and those who see it as a time for family togetherness.
Unfortunately in our culture it has quickly become the holiday of expectation. The faces I see in the stores are not jovial holiday elves, but people who look completely stressed out. Every time an SUV full of bags cuts me off, I feel sorry for the poor Mom who just braved the mall this time of year. I’m sure she is at her wit’s end.
Even with my own repeated announcement that I want no part of gift exchanging, their still comes disappointments and expectations. It seems like family is always the first to be let down and my free time is going to be filled the next few weeks trying to squeeze in a visit with everyone I know. At some point I’m going to end up letting somebody down because there is no way to fit everyone in.
Then there are the things you can not get out of. Work always has some sort of gift exchange where you have to bring a gift. Children also don’t understand an anti-commercialism stance so I get the kids in my immediate family something. I can not leave out my girlfriend, because like it or not she’ll be getting me gifts. So then even without taking part in the Christmas madness I have at least a handful of people to buy for.
Aside from the financial reasons to tap out for Christmas it just genuinely doesn’t bring happiness. You should get gifts for people because you want to and not out of some sense of obligation. Far worse is the feeling when somebody gets you something despite the fact you asked them not to. Then you feel terrible for not returning the gesture. Honestly I didn’t expect to live paycheck to paycheck in my 30s, but that is the cold hard reality of the situation. It doesn’t exactly inspire me to play Chris Cringle.
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