I have almost completed my Christmas gift shopping. I only have two small gifts remaining, and they are already decided upon — I just have to go by and pick them up during a free afternoon. I am intentionally staying ahead of the game, avoiding the post-Thanksgiving rush that so madly wraps everything into a frenzy (and traffic into a standstill).
I must say, it’s nice. I love, love buying gifts for those I love. What I despise is feeling pressured to buy gifts out of obligation….and I’m happy to say that we’ve cut almost all of those gifts out of our agenda. It just wasn’t smart….it just wasn’t meaningful.
I am trying my hardest to instill in the children every chance I get the real purpose and meaning behind this spectacular holiday on its way. It’s a conscious effort on my part to make sure that “the gimmies” don’t sneak in, unwanted, rooting in and festering some selfish attitudes. (I wish the toy ads would quit showing up in my mailbox. I can’t throw them away quick enough. Anybody else with me?)
Yet despite all of these efforts and paring down, I still can’t help but to feel a little guilty about our contribution (as small as it is) to the American holiday expense total. I tried so hard this year to buy gifts that are really needed…or that really matter….or that will most certainly not end up in the bottom of a forgotten pile months from now. Though I can control that to a certain extent, most of what happens to the gifts we bestow is out of our hands.
But some gifts you know will be cherished. Some gifts aren’t always tangible….some of the greatest gifts don’t require any cash or credit debit cards at all. What are these gifts, these presents that are so often overlooked and discounted in favor of easier, less personal trinkets? They are our TIME….as well as WORDS of ENCOURAGEMENT to others. I have to admit, I need to be better about giving away these gifts to others. And I need to make sure that Christmas isn’t the only time I give them.
I’m getting to something here.
There’s this guy. He’s a nameless guy, but nonetheless, a devoted husband who wanted to give his wife something extra-special this year. A guy who is tired of all of the secular hoop-la and American consumerism that clouds Christmas. This guy has thought up a project….a gift that requires the participation of others. The only requirement? That you are a mom.
It’s called The Mother Letter Project. I was fortunate enough to be able to contribute to it this weekend, thanks to the terrific heads-up post written by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. Though I contributed only a letter of semi-anonymity, to a woman I’ve never met, I felt the same satisfaction and joy that I feel when I hand a tangible gift into the hands of a dearest friend. It touched me that this man wants to take this on for his beloved, and it touched me that I was able to be a part of it myself, in my own, little way.
Go on over and read about it. Pray about it. Contribute to it. You’ll be glad you did.
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