Christmas. When you hear that word, what is the first thing you think of? C'mon. Be honest. Presents? You thought "presents" didn't you?
I'll go ahead and yank up my big girl panties and admit that it's what I used to think of. Not really for me, but more so for the kids. Well, them and the 237 relatives, friends and "I know you'll buy for me so I have to buy for you" people. Present buying simply became a chore.
Well this year we are on a REALLY tight budget. I've even contemplated making Ramen noodle soup a few nights a week if it weren't for the insane salt content. I mean there's cheap and then there's downright child abuse. So far I'm only guilty of the first. I'd like to keep it that way if possible, you know, keeping with the feel-good spirit of the season and all.
So this past Black Friday I did what 90% of the U.S. probably did. Shopped. Only this year I bought just a handful of things. I am proud to say I was guilty of being one of the lovely shoppers who kept taking things out of my cart (impulse buys as I like to call them) and putting them down where I definitely did not find them in the first place. Thanks to me there is now a princess purse set in the women's boots section and I'm pretty sure the "Puppy's First Christmas" ornament is still hanging from the "Baby's First Christmas" sleepers. Hey, same category, right? And no, I don't have a puppy. Ugh, don't even ask.
Yeah, I was good this year. I have to be. Simple as that. Unless Santa's fat ass is gonna greet me at the end of my invisible chimney with a Mastercard, the kids are getting budget gifts. Okay, in addition to the few awesome things I was able to score from an undiscovered Overstock.com gift certificate that I found in our desk drawer. To me, THAT was my Christmas present all in itself.
Now I don't want you thinking that I'm writing this just because I'm teetering on the edge of broke. Nope, nuh-uh. Not the case. If anything, being broke may have given me an "AH-HA!" moment, but I'd like to think my immeasurable magnificent-ness and brain capacity taught me to see the meaning of Christmas in a brand new, awe-inspiring light. Alright, yes. That was overboard. It's not about the presents... cue the Grinch and his heart growing 2 sizes. No, guys. It's about the PEOPLE. It's about drinking hot cocoa next to your tacky fake fireplace as your husband sits next to you pretending to watch a sappy Lifetime Christmas movie. In reality we both know he's nodding off and dreaming of sugar plums or some crap like that - but hey, he's in the room. That counts for something. It's about gathering around the tree and putting up sentimental ornaments. Stringing butt ugly half eaten popcorn strings on the branches that your kids made. Telling them their arts and crafts project of a construction paper tree looks like the one in Rockefeller Center - even though it looks more like a Charlie Brown special. And yes, displaying it proudly on the fridge for the entire month of December. Focusing on your little ones and dancing with them in the living room to the most obnoxious versions of carols you can find. Hiding a very large stash of peppermint bark and only eating it when no one is looking. Indulging in more sweets than normal because hey, it's Christmas!
It's not about the gifts. If you were to hold a gun to my head and ask me to name 3 things my kids got from Santa last year... Ha. To that, I say: pull the trigger. I can't even name the gifts I got from other people. A big apology goes out to those who are reading this and bought me something. I'm sure I still have it, I'm positive that I still love it, and I'm probably using it every single day...
Moral of the story? Eh, just read it. I promise I'll shut up after this last part and you can go back to sucking the life out of your savings and kid's college funds - no judgment on my part. So the moral: Enjoy the moments, not the things. Unfortunately it took stretching $20 for a week of groceries to teach me that. You know, I wouldn't have it any other way though. No more movies, extravagant wasteful gifts or trips to restaurants where we're really just as miserable as the kids are having to sit still for an hour. Nope, now we actually hang out together. And it's meaningful, damn it. We drive each other nuts. I mean REALLY nuts sometimes. But in the midst of everything a silly version of "Blue Christmas" will come on the radio or a decrepit rendition of "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer" will air on t.v. and we find ourselves snuggling on the couch, covered in blankets and singing along or laughing. It's awesome. So this season why don't you make an effort to DO something with someone. Don't just buy, buy, buy... or better yet, take my lead and don't buy at all! It's good for your wallet and it's great for your soul. I promise you you'll get a much better high from throwing a $5 bill in the Salvation Army bucket than you ever will giving your father another stupid jar of peanuts. Happy Holidays everyone!
