Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blessings, Christmas, cynicism, ex-husband, gifts, holidays, homeless, kids, retailers
Oops, that was supposed to say Santa’s Little Helper but that underlying subconscious of mine made a mistake….or did it?
I like to take the Christmas season to reflect on what I’m so blessed to have: my children, my fabulous husband, my great career, amazing friends, deep faith……the list goes on and on. To say that I have more than I deserve is an understatement.
So maybe it goes without saying that there is little that I “need” or really “want” for Christmas. Actually peace on Earth, feeding the hungry, and clothing the poor sounds like a nice gift idea. I think it’s possible that having reached a certain age I’m just not that into Christmas gift giving anymore and I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t agree that Christmas is over commercialized and exploited to benefit retailers.
Now that my kids are getting older it just seems like Christmas cheer is losing it’s luster, but I digress most likely due to the fact that I have kids….teenagers. They still want toys at this age, but their toys now consist of high priced technology, expensive sporting goods and designer clothes. Gone are the days of legos, Barbies, books and generally affordable low ticket items that when purchased in bulk could take all of Christmas morning to open! I could buy 10 toys then with the money that I now spend on only one video game or designer jacket. Of course there is a positive in the fact that gift giving now only takes a few short minutes compared to all morning.
Maybe my cynicism with the holidays stems from the year that I unwillingly received a “gift” from DA. It was the first Christmas after our divorce was finalized and I was already in a great new relationship with MFH. The box was presented to me by my unsuspecting children who announced “Daddy got you a present mommy….isn’t that nice?” Eyebrows raised, M(future)FH and I exchanged a knowing look as I explained to the kids that mommy and daddy shouldn’t be exchanging gifts anymore, that it was inappropriate now that we were divorced and as nice as the gesture was I was going to donate the gift by placing it under an “angel tree”. With the distraction of their own presents to open they put the gift out of their minds and moved on to the next item. It wasn’t until later that night that MFH and I opened the box in private, only to discover that the uneasy feeling I had about the boxes contents were accurate. Please keep in mind that DA does not possess super human intelligence, or perhaps any kind of intelligence at all but I have to admit that when I pulled out the large sized night shirt with “Ho-Ho-Ho” written across the front that the message was received loud and clear.
That shirt left my house as fast as it arrived, and it went directly to the homeless shelter. It gives me a warm feeling to know that some very large homeless man or woman may be wearing that shirt as I type this. Albeit that happened 5 years ago but does holiday-wear ever really go out of style? I think not, and it lasts longer as it only comes out for a short season.
Either way it feels good to know that something positive came from DA’s crappy gesture. And now when I see a homeless person, I think of DA.
Merry Christmas!
So ho ho funny.
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