From Thanks To Giving!

Isn't it funny how we, as Americans go from our one day of being thankful to the season of giving within hours?

I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend. Does this mean that all credit cards be maxed to their limit, and the savings drained dry to "Give" to my husband, son, parents, sister and friends? Should their "Season" be filled with meaningless material items that will most likely be forgotten about before mid-January? Why does giving have to mean buying? Why does giving have to mean shimmering paper wrapped boxes tied tightly with shiny ribbon and a big bow placed on top.

I know some people that spend hundreds of dollars each year just to make sure that their children are pleased with so many presents that they loose count. Often times they even end up saying, after opening the packages a statement along the lines of: "I asked for a Playstation Three, why couldn't you buy me one of those. "I didn't want an XBOX. This is definately not the way Christmas is suppose to be. Does this teach them giving, or does it teach them to want?

As a mother, I find myself in a moral dilemna. Do I want adorn my three-year old with boat load of gift, packaged nicely and placed under the Christmas tree, or do I want to teach him about the real meaning of Christmas. Now I am not saying that I don't want to or am not going to buy gifts, because I have already bought some, but isn't it better to teach a child more than that. I want my son to know that whether he gets 20 presents of no presents, Christmas isn't all about that. I want him to know about the give of love. I want him to learn about the birth of Christ and how God gave the most precious gift of all when he gave us his only son, to die for us on the cross. I want him to learn it is better to give love than to give material things.

I want to teach that we are truely blessed with what we already have. We have a home. We have warm beds to sleep in at night. We have food to eat, family to care for and about, friends. We have the greatest gifts already, and no material item can be better that that. At time we all think, "Oh I want that, or I need that!" But do we really? More often than not the answer is no.

I would like my son to know that some people don't have any family. Some people are homeless, cold, living on the street with no food, and no means to get any. I want my son to know that there are children out there without parents, and they spend Christmas alone with out love.

I want my son to be a child. I want him to believe with all of his heart in Santa Claus. But I also want him to know the true meaning of Christmas, and the true sense of "GIVING"

~ Just more thoughts ~ Joni