Christmas Musings

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the Christmas season and how I view it now as opposed to say 25 years ago. 25 years ago I was 25 years old. It pains me to say that because I still don't feel a day over 23 and really don't want to be more than 23. 23 was a good age for me. I was married when I was 23. Brent and I started out on life's adventure together. Our first Christmas together was spent in a studio apartment in downtown Salt Lake City. A small kitchen, very small bathroom (that I would die to have now because of the old cast iron bathtub that stood on the claw legs - but that's another story) and a main room that served as living room, bedroom and family room all rolled into one. That room was pretty much occupied when the bed was folded down out of the wall - yes, folks, we had a Murphy Bed. But we're getting away from Christmas here.

Our very first Christmas tree fit in the backseat of Brent's Volkswagon Beetle. I look back on it and think of the tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was sparse but everyone knows that's the side that you put in the corner or against the wall so it was no big deal. The majority of the ornaments were handmade. I was a very crafty person. In my heart I still am, I just don't spend much time at it anymore. The Christmas shopping started in July and August. By November I could say I was finished with the exception of a few stocking stuffers. It just didn't feel like Christmas until the first gift was wrapped and under the tree. For some reason, getting that first present bought and wrapped and under the tree has some sort of magical influence on me.

As Brent and I grew a little older we bought into the whole "Christmas has become too commercialized" movement. I still started listening to Christmas carols in October, and I still tried to start shopping early but somehow starting my Christmas shopping in July while cursing the plague of commercialism just felt hypocritical. We cut back on shopping. Our families were far enough away that the only people benefiting from our Christmas spending were the postal employees, because the postage costs to get things from one place to another was beginning to be more than the things themselves. Our families and we determined there was nothing we really needed and we all cut back considerably. We were telling ourselves that we were being better people because we were getting beyond the materialistic approach to the holiday. And that's how it's been for the last 15 years or so.

By now I'm sure you are wondering, "what's your point?" And the answer to that question would be - for 15 years I've been a party to a load of crap. There, I've said it.


This came to me tonight as I was driving home from work. My office Christmas party was tonight and I was supposed to get a card for the boss to go with his Christmas gift. While I was at the store I saw an item that I thought would make a cute place setting gift for the dinner so I picked it up. It was a small, inexpensive item and the thought of giving it away was making me giddy inside. So, I got little bows, too. The excitement was building. And that was when it hit me.


Commercialism and materialism don't necessarily have to be bad things where Christmas is concerned. It just depends on how you look at them.


Take the practice of stores putting out the Christmas decorations at Halloween. This makes some people absolutely crazy. I've been thinking about this, though. In the old days, when communities were small and families pretty much stayed in one place for generations this made sense. There was no need to get a 3 month jump on shopping and shipping, etc. Our modern world is not that way. Families live farther apart now than they used to and while there are still 24 hours in a day, the way we spend those 24 hours has gotten so crazy that we need the visual reminders to nudge us along. Where I live, a lot of families have members who are serving missions for our church. Many of those missionaries live out of the country, where a package can sometimes take 2 months to reach it's destination. And what about military families? Christmas decorations in October can serve to remind us of the need to focus on them in this crazy, busy world we live in.

Next on the list - the practice of gift giving. And this is the one everyone curses and embraces at the same time. They curse the spend, spend spend mentality but then jump all over it like there is no tomorrow. There really isn't anything wrong with spending money on presents. There also isn't anything wrong with saving your money and giving a "gift of self" instead. It seems like everyone is dieting these days and goodies aren't necessarity appreciated. But think hard folks. Remember the old saying "it's the thought that counts"? The goodies aren't the real gift. The gift was the thought behind them and the TIME spent making them. And in today's world TIME is an extremely precious commodity. I personally look on handmade gifts as some of the best things I get, because during the time they were being made I realize that someone was thinking of me and my family. For a few minutes of someone elses day, my family was important to someone else. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? And let's not forget the whole reason for the season. The entire gift giving practice has it's roots in something bigger than any of us. It stems from a gift given to us that no one can ever hope to repay - our Savior's very life. So I say - GIVE. Give until you can't stand it and feel like you'll bust from the happiness it brings. If giving that much means you have to shop - then so be it. Bring on the commercialism in all it's glory.

And last of all - there is the matter of being on the receiving end of things. You can't have all that happy giving going on unless there are some happy recipients out there. Personally, I prefer to be the one on the giving end. But if I don't graciously accept as well as give then someone else's happiness is put in jeopardy. Anyone who knows me knows I go nuts trying to make everyone happy as it is. The thought of stealing someone's happiness by not been a cheerful and grateful recipient is not pleasant. The gentleman I work for has had to gently reprimand me several times during the year and tell me - "just say thank you" - which I do and then feel embarrased that I made him have to resort to correcting my ungracious behavior. And I know there are many out there just like me.

This is a lot to digest, but my mind has been working overtime lately. And this year, I am especially thinking in the back of mind - what would my mom have said or done about all of this?
I know what she would have done. She would have made fudge and cookies and given until she dropped and smiled and "thank you" a lot. She would have said "save your money, there's nothing me or Roy need". And she would have fussed about anyone making a fuss over her.

Crazy isn't it? I really am my mother's daughter.