Holidays and family

The Obama Family

Sometimes we get so lost in the commercialization of the Holidays.  Running out spending money we don't have for pacification of emotions that are only temporary.  We don't slow down to appreciate the central focus of Christmas and other holidays. 

Christmas is about family.  Even the story of the Lord's birth centers on family.  Two young people, engaged, seeking shelter.  Joseph creating a family with a pregnant Mary.  I never really thought deeply about it.  Mary pregnant, not by Joseph is marrying Joseph who would go on to raise Jesus as he did their other children. 

Even then, it was not DNA that made family.  It was love, care, protection, provision.  Money certainly didn't make family.  They were staying in a stable for goodness sake.  I don't recall Joseph giving Mary or the baby Jesus any gifts.  The gifts came from people outside the family.  

So why do we put so much emphasis on trinkets and gifts?  Do those things even matter? Not really.  Some people tend to use gifts to make  up for the real things that are lacking: love, trust, companionship, protection, provision, communication. 

I talked to a guy who works at the radio station here about Christmas.  He said his family is not doing the whole gift giving thing, as they want to bring their daughter up knowing the true meaning of Christmas.  At first I kinda scrunched my face up.  But then I thought about it. He is right. 

Last year when I gave gifts (I'm the gift giving queen...seriously...), I tried to give monetary gifts with the stipulation that you would have to spend it on someone other than yourself.  Did that happen? No.

So this year...I've decided that I'm only giving a couple of gifts to people who actually do things for other people.  Some gifts will merely be a showing of love, seeing as some people know nothing about that...at all.