Dear Family,
Last week I was watching a PBS special that gave a factual account of the lives and campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain. In one part they talked about a time when McCain's campaign looked pretty much doomed. He had run out of money and completely changed his campaign strategy around. Instead of traveling in high-profile vehicles, he flew coach. He received rides from supporters. In tough times he didn't give up on campaigning, instead he went lean.
That, coupled with the current economic crisis that our nation is facing got me thinking about Christmas and what it really is about. Every year, our budgets are strained to the max (if not completely ignored, just adding to increased credit dependence). And although it is a time of fun and festivities spent with friends and family, there is a pervasive stress that inevitably takes away from the joy of the season.
We create shopping lists and buy, buy, buy. And much of the time we buy gifts that we hope people will like, not really sure what they want or need. And in the end, although the gifts are much appreciated, they don't carry the kind of meaning and sentiment we would really like.
As I gave it some thought, it occurred to me that instead of just keeping things the same as always, or totally sucking all the fun out of the season by not doing anything, maybe we just need to get creative. Maybe we get the best of both worlds by trying something completely new this year and exchanging gifts that we know people want, need and will cherish.
So, I propose that in lieu of gift cards, candles, lotions, wallets, ties and photo albums, that we give people the gift of our time, talents and skills. I suggest that we keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year. "How?" you may ask. Here's my idea:
We each create a Christmas Service Wish List that consists of various things that we would like or things we need that other family members can fulfill for us. These items would require little to no monetary investment. We could exchange names, or pick and choose items we would like to "give" to others. Then, on Christmas Day, we would come together as usual and exchange gifts and inside each box or bag or envelope would be the service wish that will be granted sometime during the year.
Here's a sampling of a few things that might appear on my Christmas Wish List:
Last week I was watching a PBS special that gave a factual account of the lives and campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain. In one part they talked about a time when McCain's campaign looked pretty much doomed. He had run out of money and completely changed his campaign strategy around. Instead of traveling in high-profile vehicles, he flew coach. He received rides from supporters. In tough times he didn't give up on campaigning, instead he went lean.
That, coupled with the current economic crisis that our nation is facing got me thinking about Christmas and what it really is about. Every year, our budgets are strained to the max (if not completely ignored, just adding to increased credit dependence). And although it is a time of fun and festivities spent with friends and family, there is a pervasive stress that inevitably takes away from the joy of the season.
We create shopping lists and buy, buy, buy. And much of the time we buy gifts that we hope people will like, not really sure what they want or need. And in the end, although the gifts are much appreciated, they don't carry the kind of meaning and sentiment we would really like.
As I gave it some thought, it occurred to me that instead of just keeping things the same as always, or totally sucking all the fun out of the season by not doing anything, maybe we just need to get creative. Maybe we get the best of both worlds by trying something completely new this year and exchanging gifts that we know people want, need and will cherish.
So, I propose that in lieu of gift cards, candles, lotions, wallets, ties and photo albums, that we give people the gift of our time, talents and skills. I suggest that we keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year. "How?" you may ask. Here's my idea:
We each create a Christmas Service Wish List that consists of various things that we would like or things we need that other family members can fulfill for us. These items would require little to no monetary investment. We could exchange names, or pick and choose items we would like to "give" to others. Then, on Christmas Day, we would come together as usual and exchange gifts and inside each box or bag or envelope would be the service wish that will be granted sometime during the year.
Here's a sampling of a few things that might appear on my Christmas Wish List:
Personal Wish List
- I wish Melissa would do a photo shoot of my family all out and interacting together (I would supply the film and pay for developing, Melissa would give her time and talent)
- I wish my Grammy would teach me sewing basics
- I wish Traci and I would take Mia and McKayla out on a special girls outing
- I wish for a babysitter for a Saturday date night
- I wish for hangout nights with my siblings
- I wish we could get group help to create a dog run area for Roxy
- I wish we could get help removing old plants and planting new plants.
- I wish we could have help revitalizing the backyard
- I wish we could have help hauling large items away out of our garage
Candice,
ReplyDeleteCount me in! I think it is a GREAT idea!
Love you,
Mom