Everywhere I go, I keep getting asked the same question, "Are you ready for Christmas?" Of course, the question really means, "Do you have all your presents purchased and wrapped, your Christmas pictures and cards sent out, etc.?"
The question bothers me more than it should. No one has ill will when asking it. It isn't like anyone is purposely trying to push the spiritual meaning out of the holidays, but it still saddens me.
I have thought in years past about doing as Ann Voskamp has done and do away with gift giving entirely on Christmas and only give gifts to charity and of time, etc. I have never been brave enough to take that leap. In years past, we have been pretty conservative about buying for the kids. Three to five gifts and that was all. This year, it seemed there were just so many things that I wanted to get the kids. We didn't get them large things. The most expensive things were only around $30. But we got them many things, about 7-10 each - much more than usual. But it was because it brought us joy to get them things we think they'll enjoy.
On top of that, I want the kids to start being generous and thoughtful to others, so we made a point to take them out shopping to buy for their grandparents and us. We've done this before, but this year, we wanted to make sure they knew what giving good gifts to others really was about.
Now I am in a conundrum. I don't want our Christmas to be about the gifts, but we have quite a few of them! We haven't broke the bank or made poor decisions, but I feel conflicted.
On one hand, I want to celebrate the joy of giving and getting gifts for others. On the other hand, I don't want Jesus to be covered up by the wrapping paper and packaging!
I think we need a separate gift giving holiday or something! It doesn't help that poor Bella's birthday is right after Christmas. After all the hoopla of Christmas, her birthday is usually shoved to the back burner and thought about just days before. Every year I think that I need to start planning ahead more and every year I don't seem to have the time!
I think we are going to just have to move the gift giving holiday to sometime in February, right-smack-dab between the kids' birthdays (Elias' birthday is in March). Then we'll all have a joyous birthday extravaganza, without all of my Christmas gift-giving angst or my mommy guilt over not having plans for Bella's big day!
1 comment:
The past couple years I was convicted (by Ann and Shaun's examples) to fore-go the exchange of gifts within our family, but my family (including my husband) were not on board. We don't overdo the gifts, and we've come to a good balance of giving gifts to each other and to Jesus.
As I was thinking about it all, I realized that I would never NOT send a gift to one of my Compassion kids, so why would I deny my own children a gift? Granted, the living conditions and life circumstances are completely different - one probably needs the gift more than the other - but the act of love behind the gift is the same.
Post a Comment