Gifting
“To
perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with
every year.”
E. B.
White
If you've been reading
this blog for a while, then you know that I am not a “Christmas
Person.” I admire, and am slightly in awe of, people who go all
out; who decorate the house, trim the tree, string lights everywhere,
and wear really bad Christmas sweaters. I have friends who do all
that, and I love them, but it's not for me. Maybe I'm just
stingy—entirely possible—but I don't enjoy shopping for gifts
that have a 50-50 chance of being duds, or at least, being something
the receiver does not want, and will never use. In fact, I don't
enjoy shopping...period. So, the economically important, commercial
season of Christmas, which now begins at Halloween, and runs right
through January, leaves me cold. E.B. White most likely wrote the
words above in the 1940's, so this "wrapping" of Christmas in money has been going on for a long time.
Each of us has a way in
which we feel authentic in our giving, and for some folks, buying an
expensive gift, or even something kitschy, is an honest expression of
love. I received a Christmas card yesterday from my cousin, Denise.
She had created it, along with all the cards she sends out each year.
It is beautifully rendered; no doubt took lots of time, and shows careful
attention to detail. That handmade card is a gift of love—and a
genuine expression of Denise. My friend, Isie, brought a Christmas
blend of coffee beans, and a small pumpkin pie that she had made.
Delicious! I, too, prefer to give gifts of food throughout the
year—usually in the form of soup, since that's my specialty.
Finding what works for you, what comes from your heart, is an honest
way of honoring the season of giving.
What we're truly
celebrating at Christmas is the gift of light; the light of Emanuel,
“God with us.” Whatever best expresses that inner reality is the
right gift to give.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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