Bah Humbug!...and Other Christmas Ramblings
Like so many people today, I get my fill of the holidays before the church bells start ringing. I agonize over how over-the-top I’m going to be this year with my cards (which didn’t actually happen this year, just in case you were wondering where yours was!), with presents to our close friends and family, and especially with the gifts we give our boys. It’s like I’m incapable of having fun with the holidays, because I want so badly for my boys to grow up not being too spoiled, yet still having fond memories of Christmas; but especially, like all Christian parents, I want my boys growing up thinking of the Christ child first and their presents under the tree last. Should I just wake up from my little dream and expect my kids to be the greedy little sinners that they are? Or is there a chance that, with a lot of work, my dream of having Christ-centered, selfless boys could come true?
Yesterday I came across a story that suffocated any optimism I may have had a bit. Some ten-year-old kids were asked several questions, like the following:
Their answers:
So, these were kids out of the U.K….such a Godless bunch of chaps over there, I say! But I wonder what the same study done with average kids here in the U.S. would show? (Grant it, I doubt #8—nice food—would make the list on this side of the pond; from what I hear, the food over there is nothing to brag about, so my guess is the good food they do get to eat is probably really appreciated!)
I just returned from a two-hour trip to stinkin’ Wal-mart (I despise how dependent I’ve become on that store!) and started thinking about how much stuff I bought and how much of it I’m going to return. Why in the world do we parents spend so much money on little stuff (for example, “stocking-stuffers”) that will probably end up in the trash come New Year’s Eve? I try so hard to be practical with my gifts, but am always reminded by Brewmaster how fun and exciting it is on Christmas morning to open stuff that has something “cool” on it—say Superman, or Batman, what have you—even if it’s not the most practical thing in the world. So as I try desperately to balance the practicality of gifts with the fun and excitement that only Christmas morning can bring, I find myself still unable to decide how we’re going to celebrate everything this Christmas. Will Santa be bringing the gifts, or just Mom and Dad? Do we spoil the kids rotten, or teach them to be happy with whatever they get? Do I spoil myself with clothing and other desirable gifts, or do I spend my Christmas money on a new vacuum with a HEPA filter and other hyper-allergenic stuff as recommended by my allergist today? ARGHHH!
I know I’m not alone with all these thoughts swarming up in my brain. I want so badly to live a simple life, but sometimes it just seems too impossible in this day and age. Surely I’ll figure it all out one of these days. But until then, you can probably expect a lot more posts on me trying to figure out just how over-the-top I’m going to be in so many areas of my life—like with my diet, my homeschooling, my parenting, my faith, my housekeeping, my….
Yesterday I came across a story that suffocated any optimism I may have had a bit. Some ten-year-old kids were asked several questions, like the following:
What do you think is the very best thing in the world?
Their answers:
1. Being a Celebrity 2. Good Looks 3. Being Rich 4. Being Healthy 5. Pop Music 6. Families 7. Friends 8. Nice Food 9. Watching Films 10. Heaven/God
So, these were kids out of the U.K….such a Godless bunch of chaps over there, I say! But I wonder what the same study done with average kids here in the U.S. would show? (Grant it, I doubt #8—nice food—would make the list on this side of the pond; from what I hear, the food over there is nothing to brag about, so my guess is the good food they do get to eat is probably really appreciated!)
I just returned from a two-hour trip to stinkin’ Wal-mart (I despise how dependent I’ve become on that store!) and started thinking about how much stuff I bought and how much of it I’m going to return. Why in the world do we parents spend so much money on little stuff (for example, “stocking-stuffers”) that will probably end up in the trash come New Year’s Eve? I try so hard to be practical with my gifts, but am always reminded by Brewmaster how fun and exciting it is on Christmas morning to open stuff that has something “cool” on it—say Superman, or Batman, what have you—even if it’s not the most practical thing in the world. So as I try desperately to balance the practicality of gifts with the fun and excitement that only Christmas morning can bring, I find myself still unable to decide how we’re going to celebrate everything this Christmas. Will Santa be bringing the gifts, or just Mom and Dad? Do we spoil the kids rotten, or teach them to be happy with whatever they get? Do I spoil myself with clothing and other desirable gifts, or do I spend my Christmas money on a new vacuum with a HEPA filter and other hyper-allergenic stuff as recommended by my allergist today? ARGHHH!
I know I’m not alone with all these thoughts swarming up in my brain. I want so badly to live a simple life, but sometimes it just seems too impossible in this day and age. Surely I’ll figure it all out one of these days. But until then, you can probably expect a lot more posts on me trying to figure out just how over-the-top I’m going to be in so many areas of my life—like with my diet, my homeschooling, my parenting, my faith, my housekeeping, my….
posted by Anonymous | 10:59 PM
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