Bah Humbug! I know that after reading this title many people are going to think I am a heartless Scrooge, and I can very easily see how one might draw that conclusion. I might even have to call myself a bit of a hypocrite when taking this stance on the holiday season. I have spent money on material wants this year. Buying things that have caught my eye, and spending dollars I would have been better off saving for my future, but the things I bought were because I genuinely wanted them. I didn’t buy them because it was a certain time of year, and everyone else was doing it.
I remembered loved ones birthdays this year, and I gave gifts to show my appreciation. I made a few appearances at church, and I thanked God for the blessings bestowed upon me. I was charitable and donated money to the organizations I felt were in most need, and would get the greatest use out of my dollars. I donated my time to help others in need, and made sure to be a kind, loving, and appreciative person as much as I possibly could. But……. I am feeling a little indifferent about Christmas this year.
It may have something to do with the fact I am getting older, and I am losing some of my childlike wonder. I remember how important Christmas was to me as a young boy. Making sure I would have a present (No matter how small) for all of the guests at our Christmas Eve get together, but now I feel like we put too much emphasis on the whole gift exchange and nowhere near enough on the fellowship and merriment of being together. I am feeling like the true spirit of Christmas is being stolen away from us, and it’s being replaced with consumer goods that will be outdated and obsolete next year. I feel like the things I love most about Christmas are in real danger of becoming something we see only in a holiday movie, and we are losing one of the most important pieces of our human distinction.
I remember how sometimes the smallest gifts a child received were the ones they played with the most. I long for the days when the family meal and the seeing of cousins and aunts and uncles was the highlight of the occasion. When the older kids feigned excitement for Santa’s arrival because the best gifts were from him. I miss the times when stores were closed all day because even the shop owners knew that some things were more important then making a buck. I really think I could get behind Christmas again if the reasons to get behind it were the right ones.