Christmas Musings

Every year around this time, I think, "Yikes! Christmas is coming!"

When I was younger, before children, I always thought I'd raise kids who got a few gifts for Christmas, but nothing too expensive, and that we'd take all the REST of the money and use it to bless the lives of others and do service.

Then I got married. Patrick already had Erin by that time, and she had five years of Santa, tons of presents from her mom, from her dad, from her uncle, from her grandparents. And so when we had our own children, we let Santa visit, and gave gifts, too.

With things so tight in our economy and in my budget, I keep thinking (for the past three years now) that maybe I can get the kids to sign on board for minimal gifts for us and more serving of others. The last two years, no go. This year when I started to offer the thought to my son Joe, he said in a very mature way, "Mom, I gotta be honest...I LIKE getting presents." ((sigh))

Do I put my foot down, say one gift for everyone and do what I want? Or do I let them hold on to the traditional Christmas for as long as it takes for them to come around? Next year, I may not have much choice, depending on how my business is growing (or not) by then.

Part of my attitude is that I REALLY dislike shopping. I have friends that joke that I'm more of a guy than a girl in this department. When I go shopping (unless it's for books), there's no browsing, no excitement over making purchases...it's all agony to me. Spending money on things that will get broken, outgrown, misplaced or stolen seems like such a waste. We already have too much stuff!! And I hate it.

Part of my attitude is that I'm really a social moron about choosing gifts. I am terrible at selecting things others want. I have limited success even with my own children. I usually let THEM pick out what they want, then I don't have to 1) spend as much time shopping and 2) get that "what is THIS?" look when they unwrap it.

And finally, another part (the biggest part) of my attitude is that I really prefer doing for others....serving makes my heart glad and brings happiness to others. I want my children to love blessing others, too. I feel guilty buying things we really don't need when others can't buy the things they need or Christmas gifts. Serving is what Christmas, and life, are really all about.

Somehow, I have to find a happy medium.