Christmas

[Lilly]

I have been so blah this holiday season. Maybe it is because I lost my Brother this year. In fact I know that is part of it. The other part however is as I look around and see how we are clebrating Christ birthday I wonder if it disgust him as much as it does me. Reading articles on people who have 9 full size decorated tress in their home left me wondering where they find time to remember what it is they are clebrating. Then their is the upside down Christmas tree. And people shooting at one another over a video geme system. And trying to figure out what to get the person that has everything, that is always a joy. And then there is my SIL. She wants to have a brunch, and trade gifts, even though I have told her for the past five years lets just buy for the kids. And she wants me to cook Christmas dinner for all of them even though we get together Christmas Eve at my Dad's house. I would like some alone time with just my kids and grandkids and husband. But every year she lays this guilt trip on me and ask the same questions. Then there are the party's, there are two of those. Caroling at the nursing homes, which I think is wonderful. And my (whole) family is having a reunion on New Years eve. I think the world would be better off after Christmas if we each called a time out and said we would just buy for the kids. And make a big donation to a charity. I know gifts are nice, but really all your doing is swapping out the money and the hassle of searching for that "perfect gift" that hardly ever turns out to be perfect. I know this will never happen. I just think it is Jesus' birthday and we should celebrate it in a way that would honor him. I will get off of my soap box now.

[Skagitgal]

Amen.

[Bookworm]

[SueC]

been there!

 

I found it to be making me angry and resentful, so I simply did what I felt right for our budget and committments and bought gifts for those I wanted to buy for. The result was we bought a gift for each family unit when there were young ones involved, a dish or container for the parents pantry and filled it with homemade shortbread or something similar. Each year the SIL would say, "but we are meant to buy for the kids" And I would say each year, "that is your decision, our family have chosen this way" As far as family meals, I am afraid I bucked the SIL again, each alternate year they would declare Christmas was to be the M... family Christmas, and we would go to my parents instead! Why, because we then spent the other Christmas with the in laws, just them and us and we enjoyed it! Otherwise every second year they would have had a lonely Christmas as all the family went their different ways. My SIL never did understand why we did it that way, but we quietly established our own Christmas traditions that fitted our budget and desires. A Christmas day at our place! Gifts should be from the heart, not declared. And do the kids really need an expensive single gift or small loving gifts? I know my little ones prefered if they had lots of little gifts rather than something bigger.

 

Sue

[HSmom]

From Luke, chapter 2

Quote:

19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 

That's what Christmas is about: pondering the miracle and praising the Lord for it.

 

I think we are rather fortunate that we do not live near many family members. The pressure and obligations aren't so bad this way.

[Snowmom]

Lilly, I know what you mean, it is so that in September you can buy almost anything you would want for Christmas, and Thanksgiving is still two months away. So many stores are wanting to be first to sell Christmas things.

 

Then you get to the family and things are so mixed up now days. Then you make plans and the plans get changed again and again and yet again. This is what has happened to our youngest DS and his wife. His wife has mother, step mother, dad, step dad and therefore several grandparents. So in order to make everyone happy, they are having to go to several places on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day. This is leaving us out of the picture completely. But, we came up with the answer to this. We will go to Fargo on the 26th and celebrate then.

 

Yes, so many people are forgetting the reason for the season.