Each year there is a mind struggle that my wife and I engage in called "what to get you". She wonders what gift to get me and I wonder what gifts to get her. There have been times when we have had certain hobbies like cycling, running, or the Vette, where gifts related to those things were easy to determine. But that is not the case right now. So we struggled, until...
We decided that we would give in a broader range this year. Now this is not to thump our chest or pat ourselves on the back, it is just an awareness thing. It was our decision to give outside ourselves this year. So we made extra donations to some ministries we support, gave foodstuff to the local food drive and made a significant donation to the Salvation Army. That all seemed much more appropriate to the season then simply giving ourselves more things we did not need.
Of course that did not negate our gifts to our kids or other family members. We still purchased gifts for them, but not to the extent that we normally might have. (I hope they don't mind.)
I am not sure why we turn inward so much during this time of year and become consumed with "what shall I get..." I expect the advertisers and marketing companies have a hand in that. Consequently a new Lexus becomes a "gift" or diamond jewelry that the wife/woman friend would not wear but maybe once a year - usually the annual office Christmas party. Or kids "want" I-Pods, XBoxes, and flat screen TVs.
Do not get me wrong. I'm not having a Scrooge attack. I am simply reflecting how perhaps my age and "worldview" have changed my outlook on such things. If I had kiddos in the house, I might think much differently.
Nevertheless, if nothing else, pausing and realizing that there are those living around me who may simply wish that their husband or wife would come home safe from Iraq; that there are those who have no one to gift them; there are those who have lost a job - it all makes my mind want to evaluate this stuff. So I did - we did.
Merry Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment