Bah Humbug?

The day after Thanksgiving, I usually have my Christmas shopping done and all my greeting cards mailed out. This year, I seem to have lost my steam. Working during the day and going to rehearsals at night has taken its toll and we are just too exhausted to do anything. We even decided against getting a tree. Just thinking about the energy we have to expend in putting it up, decorating it and then taking it down and disposing of it after the holiday season was just too much.

A couple of nights ago, late after rehearsals, I decided to decorate a pre-baked Gingerbread House, just to wind down and also get me into the spirit of the holidays. I also bought some scented pine cones to give the place that Christmas scent, in the absence of a real pine tree. It seems to be having some effect on me as gift-wrapping is now halfway, albeit half-heartedly, done. I have half a mind to just give the gifts in their boxes, as is. We're pretty excited to give them as they're pretty good gifts that will stand even without the gay wrapping. Why wrap them so they can be torn away a few hours later? Besides, what's important is the gift and not the wrapping, right? And ultimately it is said that what's more important is the thought.

I would be happy with just that actually. I really do appreciate it, and most of the time wished they remained as they are, at least when it comes to me. I loathe to think that people spend their hard-earned money for something that almost always just gathers dust in cupboards. Let's face it, a lot of us have everything we need and a lot of the gifts that we get are "icing". Since I don't care much for most "icing", I really wish people would put their money to better use, maybe donate it to a charity.

I know I'm sounding like an idealist again but sometimes I look at a particular thing that I see in a cabinet that was given to me, wonder how much it cost and think what that money could have done for a child who needed that amount to be able to purchase his school supplies, or a poor and sick person whose medical needs are not being completely met for lack of funds, or a family who cannot even enjoy a nice, decent meal together. Pushing aside all that stuff, one can also consider how that little amount can grow if you put it in a child's college savings account.

I just think that we have all fallen victim to the ploy that retailers have made the Holidays to be, one big commercial event designed to suck out everything that's in our wallets! How many families actually make it a ritual or tradition to sit down and commemorate the story behind the celebration of Christmas or the events that led to Hannukah? How many actually bow their heads together in gratitude for all the blessings that we have? How many of us make sure that we share with the less fortunate before we start celebrating?

I know I need to do more. And that's something I need to ponder as I try to finish my gift-wrapping.