At work today we got talking about Christmas. The parties, the gifts, the food, the sights and sounds of the season, the money involved, the decorations, etc. Usually, and I repeat usually, I am giving some thought to putting up my tree within two or three weeks from right now but I'm no where near that idea this year.
It seems like that for all of 2009, I'm not as organized or put together as I usually am. Is it old age? Is it that I feel like I'm always tired? Is it that my plate is always full so I just take the next thing on the list? (I really hope this isn't the reason, because this is how my mom usually operates and I've been know to get after her for this.) Is it that my boys always have their own agendas that I've not aware of until the last minute? Is it that I don't care anymore? What is it? It is driving me crazy trying to figure out why.
Last week I did ask the boys to write down a few Christmas ideas for me. When I got the lists back, most of the items I expected and I even added a few that I've heard them mention recently. Yesterday, while driving Tyler to basketball practice, he said "Mom, I want to scratch everything off my Christmas list and add just one thing." I asked him what it was and he replied "A laptop computer." He couldn't have been more serious than if he had had a heart attack.
As I've thought about Tyler's response and then our discussion at work today, I've decided that Christmas and every other holiday for that matter is just all about money and to see who can out do who. I know, I know, I'm probably the last person to figure this out (or maybe to just finally admit it)! I hear the older generation talk about how they only got 1 gift (homemade) and an orange in their stocking but how that was the best Christmas ever. With the exception of the Wii, I doubt my kids could tell you what else they got for Christmas last year. Oh wait - they'd probably mention their sports scrapbooks -- homemade.
It saddens me when I stop and think about how worldly I've made Christmases in the past. I have a friend who narrows her children's gifts to the following:
1. a want
2. a need
3. something for that child's talent
4. something religious
5. a book
6. a movie
It seems like there was one or two more categories but this is the majority of them. I like these ideas and am going to try and use this, or at least something similar for my gift giving this year. I'd really like to make the boys something (the homemade thing) again this year but I'm struggling with what.
I also want to focus more on the reason for the season (I already bought our tickets to the Savior of the World at the Conference Center in SLC), more family time and less stress and less money spent.
I'll step down from my soap box now. What are you doing to prepare for Christmas? What do you do to make Christmas more meaningful? I'd love to hear your ideas, thoughts and comments.
4 comments:
I agree with you 100%. I like your list. I think I will try that this year. I am never ready for Christmas and all the work it brings. I wish we could just enjoy the magnificent simplicity of the true meaning of Christmas. Good Luck!
I toatlly agree with you about the excess's at Christmas. When our kids were young (and we were poorer) we had the tradition that Santa brought you the one thing you wished for, Mom and Dad got something you needed and a sibling got you something fun. The kids also drew names with their cousins, and got a gift from the cousin and from Santa at grandma and grandpas Christmas party. (the gift was really from Grandma and Grandpa, But Santa came to the party and delivered it)We also told our kids that parents had to pay for the gifts that Santa's elves couldn't make, so if you asked for a nintendo, parents had to pay. That was why some children got more expensive things. This really cut down on the kids "wishing for the stars". We lived in a quite affluent neighborhood, and I was always trying to show my kids that possesions weren't as important as a loving family. They also had to go through their toys, and donate 5 items to a charity such as the nursery, a shelter or DI. I tend to go all out decorating for Christmas, but I'm trying to thing of ways to simplify this year. We'll see...
There is so much pressure to not let our kids ever want for anything...like it's so bad to have any unfulfilled wishes. I haven't bought one Christmas present yet and I do need to get on the ball so I won't be so stressed around mid-November. I remember one year my cousins parents told them that they didn't have any money to get them Christmas gifts, but that if they could hang on for six months and not complain, then they could have something big (like a bike)and I was so sad for them on Christmas when we all met up at Grandma's house. I think my parents even offered them money to do Christmas, but the parents wanted to do it themselves...and they did down the road. Those cousins have all grown up to be good people, so I guess it's not so bad to not have all your wildest dreams come true on Christmas morning. Who knows, with the economy the way it is, we may be looking at more Christmases with homemade gifts and an orange in the stocking. Make mine those chocolate covered orange sticks.
I agree. We are still doing homemade gifts. I am trying the frankensense(sorry not much of a speller), Mur, and gold. We only try to do 3 gifts. F- is a need, m- is a special gift; gold is a big surprise. It has helped us cause we still in the starting out period. It has made a big impact on my life. I grew up with big christmas's so it has really been more of a blessing. We are all about the memories and family time then gifts.
I have to say I love your gift idea, I might use it.
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