04 December 2009

A Nice Attitude About Christmas Gift Giving


Now that the Thanksgiving Weekend is behind us, my thoughts are slowly turning to Christmas shopping. Most years I love making a list and coming up with creative ideas for gifts I hope the people on my list will love. With so many people talking about cutting back the past two years, I feel like it's almost taboo to give someone a really nice gift. By really nice gift or generous gift I mean something simple, filled with love, thoughtfulness and care.


On one hand it seems like you run the risk of making people feel bad if you get them a nice gift or if you get them a gift at all because it becomes implied that they should've gotten you something, whether or not they wanted to or can afford it. That doesn't feel like the Spirit of Christmas to me.


In my heart I want to just do things the way I usually do them, simply but generously. But then it feels like everywhere I turn people are either saying, "We're not doing gifts this year" or "Let not get each other a gift this year," or "Let's only draw names and only spent (blank) amount total on one person." I realize we're in a new economy and it's important to be frugal with money and plan for the future, but all these restrictions on to whom and how I give make me uncomfortable.


Is anyone else out there feeling a little weird about the new gift giving "economy"? Can I just give what I want to give to whom I want to give it to, or do I have to play by all these  new and restrictive rules? Talk to me people. Comment, please.

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