Grinch?

Those of you who know me well have probably heard me talk about my struggle with Christmas and gifts. This is a hard one to explain and sometimes I wonder if I'm not just being selfish or grinchy (if that can be a word) or scroogy (another made-up word, this must be a record).

The things is that it's not that I don't love the people in my life and thoroughly enjoy giving them things that I know will make them smile and bless them. If you're in my life, you've probably received random things from me throughout the course of any given year just because I'll see something and it will make me think of you and I'll buy it to share with you. That's what I love: to unexpectedly surprise people with small things that I know they'll love.

What I don't love is that Christmas has such a focus on gifts. I don't love that most of those who I buy things for could buy the same things for themselves. I don't love Christmas lists that tell me what you want because it makes me think that I don't know you well enough to find something that you would love. I don't like the pressure to find the perfect gift (or sometimes just any gift) to place under the tree on December 25th. I don't love that every year I find myself with more things that I don't really need because people feel the requirement to give.

What I want is to give (and receive) things that are meaningful. Let me buy you tickets to a concert we can go to together. Let me make you a picture frame full of cheerful moments captured on film. Let me take you to dinner or coffee or shopping or on a road trip. Let me invest in your life and not buy you more stuff. Or, if it is a tangible gift that I buy then I want it to be something that I know you'll love and you don't expect and it will bring a smile to your heart and you'll know I love you and really know you.That's what I think I really want the most.

I guess I just wonder: does Christmas have to be all about the stuff?

I don't think there's an easy answer to this and I feel like it's something I talk about every year because I still haven't figured it out. So, I'm trying yet again to find a way to combat the common solution to just buy everyone a gift off a list and call it a year. I've got 21 days to figure it out. Here's hoping.

I have to share this video too because I feel like it's very very very appropriate to the discussion that I've been having. Have you ever thought about these things? I'd love to hear any thoughts out there about this...I don't have answers, just thoughts.



PS: Just in case you're wondering, this is most definitely not a new question for me...it's just coincidental that I wrote about the overabundance of stuff in my life a while ago.