ah, the value of Christmas!

 




"Christmas is coming!" Do you remind yourself of this in hushed, reverent tones, much like a child who lies awake at night counting down the days, or do you say it grudgingly, like it's a much hated chore that you put off until the last minute?
I was at the store today and saw the sign: "39 days and counting!" Hmmm...

What will you do for Christmas? Someone asked, how much money does one spend on gifts for kids? Is it a set amount, or what? I pondered this. With my own kids and now, grandkids, I don't look at cost so much as the thought put into it. I make homemade fudge and look for gifts that convey the thought of "I am thinking of you," which to me, means more than some ten dollar gift bought hastily and wrapped.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh were the original gifts from the Magi to the baby Jesus. If you researched the history of why these gifts were so special, you'd understand that they were too precious to return to the dealer! They were symbolic of what Jesus would encounter as a man during his last hours on earth. It was the tradition of the Wise Men bringing gifts that was incorporated into the holiday we share today.

Children are so innocent. Initially, they don't understand the value of "hey, his gift costs MORE than mine!" they only understand that they have received "something." I am dismayed by the lack of thank you notes that I receive for gifts that I have given out. Do children not understand to show appreciation for what was received? If gratitude is taught at a young age, this goes a long way towards not dealing with the "hey, he got something better than I did!" mentality. It's only when children get together that they compare notes. They then begin to see the value of an object. "I only got the doll, while she got the ornate doll house, the clothes, all the accessories and a gift card to return to the store for even more!" How much is too much?

When I was growing up, we were very poor. One year, the Salvation Army gave us a box of food for Christmas and my younger brother and I were told to go into the next room and pick out "something to take home." (This was before the whole Toys for Tots thing, with the brand new toys that are donated. ) These toys were used, some were even missing parts. I chose a Life game, took it home and played with it, despite the fact that a few pieces were missing. For a poor girl, this was heaven sent! It's like the old saying, "how does a child know he's from Harlem? It's only when it's pointed out to him that he realizes how poor he really is." Well, I was naive....I was satisfied with what I had because I had so much less-- anything was better than nothing.

Instead of focusing on gifts, maybe teach your children that there are others who don't have it so good. Especially since the typhoon in the Philippines, there are many who are now without the basics of food and fresh water. Even closer to home, who is without something that can make this season a sad one? That is where the need is..not wanting an item for yourself, but wanting something better for another. This is true, unconditional love right there!