Hubs just left to take the kids Black Friday Shopping. It’s after 10am, so I’m curious if anything is left on the shelves for consumers to buy. I mean, if you don’t get there at 5am you don’t stand a chance….or um….3am…no wait, 10pm on Thanksgiving night…..Or January 1st for that matter, I don’t really know, because they keep moving it earlier and earlier and it’s hard to keep up!
What is Christmas about anyways? Hubs calls me a Bah Humbug and I kind of don’t blame him. But as he is there with the kids at the mall buying into all this “Today we get the best deal” frenzy, I sit back and scratch my head. Don’t get me wrong, I was almost out the door with them all, because it sounded fun….for 2 hot seconds… Then I pictured frenzied, tired, and unfriendly people elbowing me because they see the last item on sale and they’d rather die trying to get it then be kind and say “Excuse Me”.
I will NEVER buy into that mentality.
I have a friend for whom it’s become a ritual. She’s up at 4 to get there by 5 and it’s “fun” for her. It’s an experience. But she also plans out her shopping trip and is usually done shopping for the day and for Christmas by 9am. Nice for her and it makes her giddy. I suppose that is what the whole thing is set up for, right?
I still can’t buy into it.
At the end of the day and the end of the season, I see people who have spent every last dime they have in their accounts, or better yet, maxed out their credit cards and can’t wait for the season to be over. Nothing wraps up quicker than holiday cheer the day after Christmas…..
Every year I go into the season, wanting to be excited. But as I’m a photographer, it’s my busiest season, and I have to bide my time well, or burn out quickly. Still, our house is somewhat small, so decorating is easy. But as I go into the season, my goal is to soak in as much holiday cheer as possible. I’m not a total scrooge, I like looking at the lights people put up and I try to find at least one event for the kids and we have a good time. It doesn’t always happen, because we all get so busy. And that’s when the “holiday crazy” kicks in for us.
First of all…I am NOT organized. Second of all, I don’t pay attention to what people say they like throughout the year (which would make shopping fun). Third of all, we are not rich (which means it stresses us when the kids want something out of our budget). Fourth, the season starts to become all about the presents for everyone and not the joy. ……. and THAT is where you lose me……
I don’t want to shop for someone that I “HAVE” to shop for. I want to shop for someone I “WANT” to shop for. Sadly, I hate shopping, but when I have a purpose, I’m AMAZING at shopping.
That said, this is where the struggle sets in. My favorite question of the year, “Who do we have left to shop for?” That to me is like nails on a chalkboard….
To me, Christmas is about being INSPIRED…. about being “MOVED BY THE SPIRIT”…… But in the end, the only spirit that moves me comes in a bottle….
Recently I have seen videos of people giving to the homeless… Everyone is so generous from Late November through Christmas… but the homeless are also there January through October….so what happens then?
I’m glad that we have this time of year to remind us to slow down and give to others. But I beg a little balance here. I live in an area where kids want for very little. As a matter of fact, there is a term for these kids where they suffer from getting everything they want. And I think that’s a problem. I’m on a mom’s group where parents struggle that they can’t give their kids everything they want. And to that I say, “GOOD! Let them WANT for SOMETHING!”
No one really “Earns” anything anymore. They just ask and get. But what people don’t realize is when we don’t let our kids work for or earn what they really want, then when they get in the real world, they will be totally blindsided by reality and who knows how they will learn to cope!
I’m by NO means perfect. My kids earn very little and I justify it through their busy schedules. But when this season comes around and I see a list of “wants” from them, I get a little twinge in my stomach that tells me that giving them everything they want will bite us all in the backside eventually……
So there you have it….. I have tons more to say on the topic, but I’m going to leave it there. Our world has gone Cattywampus. I’d like to go back to the days when the “After Thanksgiving Rush” meant getting to Midnight Mass, even though I dragged my feet and wanted to sleep…. I’d like to go back to simpler times where you’d be home and all of a sudden you heard people singing outside your door….. I’d like to go back to a time when Santa was REALLY magical, and Charlie Brown Christmas was the most anticipated show of the season….. I’d like to go back to a time when we were kind ALL YEAR LONG…. I’d like to go back to a time when we were all Moved by the spirit…..
We may not be able to go global on this, but even if we keep it local, one house at a time, we might live to inspire another family! I’d love to hear your favorite holiday memories or traditions. Feel free to share below and let the holiday season begin on the right foot!
Blessings and Peace to all
and to all…a Good Night….
Mom of two grown ass girls and married to a short guy who is funny and cooks really well! I’m a photographer by trade, so you can say I’m a bit “peopley”. My favorite sessions are the one on ones where I just get to chat and find out about my clients. I’m blessed with what I get to do every day! Blessed by the support of my husband and kids, and blessed by the ongoing support and encouragement of my friends who are always lifting me up.