 Rethinking the Season
A few years ago, completely exasperated and overwhelmed by what I felt was a lack of focus on the season’s meaning, I was ready to give up on Christmas altogether. Frankly, I was tired of spending the better part of the season searching out this year’s hottest toy, coming up with the perfect gift idea for each person on my list and making sure I spent just the right amount of money on everyone so as to avoid any hurt feelings. After coming to terms with the fact that opting out of the holiday altogether was not realistic, I decided that I was going to reclaim Christmas through the gifts I gave. No longer was I going to just run to the store, load up my cart and start checking people off my list. No, I was going to give gifts that let people truly know what they mean to me, that I care about them and, most important, what Christmas means to me.
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Practice What You Preach
Here are some ideas to help you keep the message of the holidays alive for the people on your gift list:
Use your talents. Last year, my son, Alex, painted pictures for his aunts for Christmas. Both had admired his pictures that hang in our house and had commented on how much they would enjoy having one themselves. So Alex took the initiative and created two paintings that now hang prominently in his aunts’ homes.
Perhaps your talent is cooking. If so, gather some of your favorite recipes, along with some family favorites, into a cookbook.
Like to take pictures? Photograph your friends and family and present the photos in a nice frame.
Shop with your values in mind. It always surprises me how quickly parents seem to throw their beliefs out the door for the sake of fulfilling a gift request. If I don’t want my kids using certain language, then I shouldn’t buy them—or anyone else on my list—a CD that uses that language. Or if I talk to them about being a peacemaker, then it doesn’t make sense to buy a violent video game. The same goes for movies, books and clothing.
Emphasize your faith. Since Christmas is at its heart a religious holiday, it makes perfect sense to give gifts that emphasize that point. Try to shop for gifts that connect with your faith, such as a necklace bearing an icon of the person’s patron saint or a statue for his or her room. My favorite gift for little ones is the Fisher-Price Little People® Nativity Set.
Think of others. For years, my family selected at least one name from our parish’s giving tree. For the past few years, however, I have had our children each choose a name and take responsibility for shopping for that person. It’s a good opportunity for us to talk about those who are not as fortunate as we are and discuss our need to be charitable toward others.
The gift of you. Rather than spending money to buy something for people on your list, why not give them the gift of time? Plan a day or evening together doing something that you and that person or group of people enjoy. Or you can offer to babysit, run some errands or do some work around the house and yard.
For instance, if you’re handy, offer to take care of some projects for a friend. You could promise to do some snow shoveling or yardwork for them. Be creative and use your strengths. You can even create coupons to give for the various tasks you’re willing to do.
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For Teens and Kids: The Christmas Challenge
One of the challenges of Christmas is how to afford presents for everyone on our list. But what if you didn’t have to spend any money at all? Think it can’t be done? I bet it can, and I challenge you to give it a try. In fact, some of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten were ones that didn’t cost a thing. Here are some suggestions for just a few gifts from the heart:
■ Write a letter telling people what they mean to you or what you love the most about them.
■ Create a small photo album of pictures of the two of you.
■ Make a CD of songs that mean something to both of you.
■ Spend a day together. This one might be especially nice for an elderly relative.
■ Use your computer to create a video featuring photos and music that hold meaning for the recipient. If you can, burn it to a DVD so it can be shared with others.
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