Several years ago I remember asking my children if they remembered what they had been given for Christmas the year before, to my surprise they could not even recall one thing. When I was little my parents had next to nothing. I remember I dreaded going back to school after holiday breaks- other kids had new clothes, coats, shoes, and toys, and I had to pretend I had gotten the items I had wished for from Santa, but the reality was that I didn’t. I was always understanding and accepted that my parents were young and struggling, that Santa wasn’t real, and I never felt too bothered by it. To this day I am a very humble person and money is not something that impresses me, while it is nice to have enough of it to support yourself and your family. I just remember as I had gotten older and had kids of my own that I had to work extra hard to make extra money to check things off of their Christmas list and in under 12 months time they had completely forgotten. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel disappointed by that, as I remembered how rough the holidays had been for my family growing up. The holidays at the salon are extra busy and stressful as well as adding Christmas shopping, sports, band concerts and wrapping presents. While most people enjoyed the holidays- I have always felt overwhelmed by the demands. That’s when I began to wonder- if it was all worth it? As my children kept piling things on their Christmas list, I began to feel no matter what I would get them it would never be enough. We live in a society that bases their value on superficialities such as how much money someone has, what brand they are wearing, what their education level is, and how attractive they are, where they live, and their ethnicity. The real truth is that happiness is internal and can not be ever achieved more than temporarily from external things. This led me to my evaluation and conclusion that Christmas had become something entirely different than it was meant to be. I decided from that point forward my family and I would take vacations for Christmas instead of buying a bunch of stuff we really didn’t need. Now when I ask my boys about Christmas they remember the memories we made and the new places we explored. I’m not saying I cut out all gift giving and Christmas traditions but I did make huge changes. Our vacations are still on a small budget but I knew how much I had been spending on gifts for Christmas each year and it was more than enough for a getaway. We still do a lot of baking leading up to Christmas, put up and decorate a tree and buy thoughtful gifts as well as make homemade gifts! I also like to get my boys pajamas, socks, gloves, a few other small things that I made or that really stood out to me and I always give them each $50.00 cash to spend on vacation. I can honestly say I have no regrets and we are in year 5. I encourage everyone to remember the holidays are about spending time with those you love and making memories- everything else is just a bonus. I try to help those in need always, but especially during the holidays and I encourage others to do the same. I give the gift of my time, services, and creative projects. I am thankful to have made changes to what society thinks is appropriate for Christmas and I honestly could not be happier. I wish you all a Happy Holiday Season! Thanks for checking out my new blog- feel free to comment below.
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