Happy thing day

Published on by Grace

I’m not a holiday person, none of them – no reason for them except – I don’t know – economic gain? There’s money to be made on every single “holiday” including Veterans Day. I don’t mind people making a buck or two but please be honest about it.

Christmas of course is the most greed-driven holiday – it boggles my mind. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I try to stay out of it, truly I do. I just can’t get past the excess. And the seeming entitlement. And the blackmail. And the coercion. And the hypocrisy.

Interestingly enough, I think most people acknowledge all those aspects. And choose to ignore them. Having given in; succumbed to the blackmail,  having drunk the kool-aid. I don’t know how people justify the excess of XMas.

I’ve nothing against gift-giving. Gift-giving is one of the great pleasures of my life.  I dislike boasters, braggarts and pat-my-own-back-ers but I have to say I am a primo gift giver. If I give someone a gift I usually put a lot of thought into it. I don’t give mindless gifts for mindless reasons. It’s your birthday? Have a happy. Feeling a little down and blue? Here’s one of those scented candles you like so much to help lighten your mood.

I guess what bothers me is folks like me are vilified, that’s really much to strong a word but I’ll let it stand, because we don’t play the game. Scrooge, Grinch (I’ve no idea what the Grinch is about but I gather it/he/she is not very nice) – spoilsports – we are not the negative ones. We are the honest ones, the generous ones, the kind ones because we give from our hearts not from our guilt.

If you wish to emphasize, for one specific day, kindness then do that – be kind. If for some reason you assigned a religious meaning to one specific day, then go to church. Whatever you do don’t guilt yourself, or anyone else, into being a hypocrite. Or into being in debt. Or stressed and exhausted.  Get a backbone. Grow a set of balls. Tell your own truth not the one that has been handed down through generations of guilt and greed and hypocrisy.

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8 thoughts on “Happy thing day”

  2. You certainly are a great gift giver! We didn’t exchange gifts although I did get my mom slippers which she needed. Christmas was tough on me this year. I have made changes that I’ve been needing to make but instead of being relieved, I guess I’m in the throes of grief from losing something I’ve been a part of for the last 5.5 years. Also, Angel is not doing well at all and I’m afraid it’s time to make decisions. As a result of everything, I had a week long pity party culminating in losing my shit on J for no reason on Saturday. I’m feeling a bit better today but still need to shake this mood off and move forward as I have been wanting to for a long time.

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    1. It is loss – and grief – how wise of you to see that. It is sad about Angel – but we have to do what is right for them. I’m still actively missing Frankie every day – {{Huggiez}}

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  3. Suze and l were discussing this the other day. Her daughter awarded Suze with a 2 minute ‘gift’ of seeing the grandkids on Christmas Day on Whatsapp or up or whatever it is. 2 Minutes and she didn’t even get to see the grandkids opening up her presents like she used to ………. but what she did see and could not unsee was the sheer volumous mountain of presents under the tree for the kids. Suze said she was shocked dumb.

    “The pile under the tree was twice as big as last year Rory, l honestly don’t understand my daughter and the way she spoils those kids on Christmas day and half of the presents will be trashed by the next day!!”

    Suze and l didn’t do gifts this year per se – l got her a lovely pair of Weillington boots which help keep her feet really warm and the neuropathy at bay and she bought me/us a yearly subscription to Gardener’s World. I got a few Amazon gift cards for friends and that was it.

    It’s sheer overindulgence and spoilance these days sadly and the concept of the original Christmas has left the building.

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    1. I can’t remember the last time I gave someone, anyone a “Christmas” gift…it’s just not something I do anymore. I send my husband’s children money so they can buy whatever they want – I suppose that is something one does, so I do it. I send the granddaughters little odds and ends throughout the year – stickers, books etc. For their birthdays I put money in their college fund. As for the original concept of Christmas – well I won’t get into that –

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  4. My partner and I agreed not to exchange gifts. We are relatively generous to ourselves and each other all year long, so I think we’re good to go. I bought my son a gift that is something he’ll think is “cool” and would never have bought for himself, and it’s very much something that speaks to his particular life. I think that’s the point. It’s fun on both sides. The buying panic that I read about all the time sounds pretty dumb, you’re right there. I just kind of grit my teeth and hope to pop out, intact, on the other end some time after New Years.

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    1. As you get older you find that whatever you want/need you just buy it yourself when you want it/need it. It seems to be the way life goes. Also as you get older birthdays/anniversaries and other ‘gift giving’ occasions don’t seem important. A cheery Happy whatever suffices. I give gifts when the spirit moves me to – and is not connected to any occasion and it’s usually something that I saw and it reminded me of a particular person so I gifted it to them. Or someone needs a bit of cheering up so a custom box of their favorite chocolates from See’s gets sent…I’ve seen so many photos of people’s XMas celebrations that are just over the top – dear lord where do they get the money and how does one appreciate ALL that stuff! And for that matter who the hell needs all that stuff? My granddaughters are 3 and 5 and XMas and their birthdays are off-the-wall excessive – presents from their parents as well as a large family and friends group that all do the gift thing…way too much.

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