Monday, December 6, 2010

Frivolous

The holiday season presents a whole circus of emotions no matter how very hard we try not to get caught up in them... I have spent most of this morning doing some soul searching and trying to find answers to some changes of Christmas plans in our family that I do not feel very strongly about.... These have made me feel very edgy and go against my values and thoughts and traditions of the Christmas season but I also know you have to be giving and try your best to go along with things.... I was reading a article on the computer yesterday... It stated " I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving a present". It also stated we can hardly think of Christmas without gifts... This troubles me to a degree of what we are instilling in our children and allowing ourselves to become... Please... please... please... remember gifts need not to be necessary to be rich and glamorous in their worldly possession, but make sure they are rich at heart... Frivolous gift giving sadly spoils Christmas for so many...In my heart and in my mind I still believe of gifts of necessity rather than out landish wants... Yes if it need be a Christmas of underwear and socks and scarfs and mittens so be it cause I can tell you those are some of my most treasured memories... Sadly today we think we must give expensive toys and electronics to our children and grand children who may play with them for a few hours while they are new for a couple days... In the summer they end up on a garage sale... many in the box that may have never been opened only on the day of Christmas cause they had too much.... Some families have to struggle so very hard to just give a gift of nourishment to their children and ones self... Now think of it and decide which one of these families are truly the most thankful? Which would you think would enjoy the meaningful Holiday? Tradition say we must treat each other kindly during Christmas. Maybe that is the reason why the tradition of giving has spread so far and wide.. There are many ways of showing one that we care about each other.. My wishes are not to take Kriss Kringle { which means Christ Child} out of Christmas... My wishes are to DE-COMMERCIALIZE it... Amen....

7 comments:

Becca said...

Oh!! Thank you!! This past week God presented an opportunity for me to help a young woman I know. She has no family and is renting a room from a co-worker. She is a student and has a part time job. Her Christmas was to be very meager and quite different from mine. I brought the need to my Bible study group and they have joined with me to give her the gift of Christmas. We are getting her things she needs, a robe, slippers, clothes for school. However, the ladies are wrapping everything so beautiful and festive. I am so happy to be part of this gift. I know our young friend will treasure each gift and especially the gift of love and friendship, the two things that are most important and priceless.

Sandi said...

Very good thoughts Marietta. I too struggle with those feelings at times. I wish more people could realize the true meaning of Christmas...how much more wonderful it would be. I am not against giving gifts, but within reason. Some give way too much and I agree it is not good. I have seen firsthand the problems it can cause. Entitlement is just one of them and that is not good. Hoping you have a truly blessed Christmas this year as we celebrate the Christ child!
Blessings~

Unknown said...

This post goes straight to my heart Marietta, because I also feel that Christmas is NOT about giving gifts, but giving lots of attention to each other. Today I decorated our house, I'm not done yet, but it's been a very harmonious day so far. Thanks for your wonderful post! Ira

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

It seems like we all go through this hustle and bustle and getting stressed out over what to buy for who and so much gets forgotten of what this season and holiday really means.....you said it very well! Thank you!~Hugs, Patti

Andi's English Attic said...

For a few years I had been worried that the Christmas Spirit had left me and that I no longer enjoyed the season as much as I used to. I watched shoppers dashing around madly, buying things that shops had manufactured just for 'the perfect gift at Christmas'. I was becoming disillusioned and, like you, hated the commercialism.
Then I discovered blogland where the people I visited wrote of crafting and thrifting and simplifying. I asked my family to give me only gifts from charity shops or craft fairs and I did likewise. My Christmas Spirit has returned and the fun has come back to the season. Most of the money I spend on gifts now goes to charity and I feel I'm on the right track for the kind of Christmas the original St.Nicholas would agree with.
So thank you for this post. It's nice to know others feel the same and are making moves to do something about it. xx

Alaina said...

To me the whole Christmas holiday is about spending time with family, whether it is baking cookies, trimming trees, visiting Santa, we are doing it as a family and having fun.

Miss Gracie's House said...

so true...i never have seen the connection and yet get so caught up in it...much to ponder.
Rene