Merry-Go-Round & Monster Trucks

We approach the Eve of the Christmas Consumer Season. Once the sugary craze of Halloween passes, the stores will BURST with red, green, and all things that glitter. And then we get asked, "What do you want for Christmas? What do your kids want?" And then we receive money, "Buy something for yourself and your kids." And then we start purchasing. And then the annual collection of STUFF begins. And then, a few years later, we dispose of that same STUFF because it is useless.

USELESS.

I've asked my preschooler what her favorite memory was from this year. Does she remember all the gifts she received? Not really. Does she recall being overwhelmed with all the candy associated with Valentines, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas? A bit. Does she appreciate all the stuff she plays with day-to-day? Kind of. So, what does she care about? What memory sticks out? What delights her imagination? She'll tell you, "The merry-go-round and the monster-truck-ride!" And she thanks God for that experience over and over and over again. What is she talking about? Going to the Summer Fair as a family, enjoying rides together, and eating hot dogs.

MEMORIES are not useless.

I desire to envision Christmas in a different light this year in order to transform the often frivolity of our gift giving traditions to a purposeful endeavor.
  1. If asked for a gift idea for myself, I will request something that is NEEDED and FUN. Some things are needed, but not fun to receive, if you know what I mean. Thus, new clothes is my theme this year.
  2. If asked for a gift idea for my children, I will attempt to request items that BUILD MEMORIES. Items such as board games, books, craft sets (i.e. make your own princess wand), or toys that promote imaginative play are a few examples.
  3. If we are gifted with cash, I will make a conscious effort to SAVE the funds towards a family vacation. One year, when my children are older, I desire to save all the money that I would spend on material gifts for my immediate family that year (and encourage relatives to do the same for us) and TRAVEL somewhere as a family during Christmas Holidays. 
  4. If I find time to organize stocking gifts for my extended family, I hope to CREATE something memorable that will ENCOURAGE others.
  5. If asked to donate to charities beyond the usual organizations we contribute to (unless we feel the Holy Spirit is prompting us otherwise), we will decline this year. Instead, we will focus on SPONSORING a child through Compassion Canada and gift her this Christmas season.
What are you doing differently this year (or have done differently) to CHALLENGE the rabid frenzy of Christmas Consumerism?

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