Today has been a low-key, post-holiday kind of day. I didn’t get up at 3 a.m. or stay up last night to go out shopping. Even when I did have the disposable income to shop on “Black Friday,” I didn’t head out to the mall or anything resembling a department or electronics store. There were the usual stories on the news of shoppers getting into fights, pepper-spraying other customers, trampling over people all to get into stores to save 60% on a flat screen television or an X-Box or some other thing. I’m not sure I understand the psychology of black Friday shopping or the thrill some people described of finding that “perfect” bargain amidst the chaos and pandemonium. For one moment I actually felt sad that I wouldn’t be buying some really cool “toy” for anyone for Christmas this year. I am letting it go.
This year when I have significantly fewer financial resources than I’ve had in many years, I won’t be purchasing much in the way of material goods for family and friends this holiday. It would be dishonest of me to say that I am alright with that. I’m not. While I am grateful that most of the people in my life will be happy to see me at the holidays whether I am bearing gifts or not, it is hard for me to go home for the holidays relatively empty-handed. I have been accustomed at times to being able to buy something for almost everyone. This year I will be buying for almost no one. I may have spent the last few months working with gratitude and mindfulness and generosity, etc., so such things shouldn’t bother me. However I still have some work to do on that. I have learned a lot and have practiced letting go of many things while on this current leg of my journey; but I still have more letting go to do and the holidays will provide me with more opportunities to do that.
This Christmas will be more of a spiritual affair than one characterized by giving cool gifts. This is, of course, what it is meant to be, what it is “supposed” to be. I have been known to make gifts for folks for Christmas–some of them have been the “hit” of the holidays. While I don’t have a whole lot of time for extensive creative projects, I do have time for some. I’m grateful to have developed a number of gift-making talents, both handicraft (wireworking, woodworking, jewelry making) as well as technological (DVDs and CDs and such). They say necessity is the mother of invention. I reckon for me lack of one kind of capital is the mother of creativity to produce something wonderful. We’ll see what I manage to pull out of my hat this year.
I have so many people I want to give something to, even something small. Whether or not I manage to crank out some nifty gifts, one thing I can offer in abundance: thanksgiving and gratitude for each of them and who they are in my life, as well as prayers for blessings and all good things–health, well-being, ease and abundance, and love and appreciation. Perhaps these gifts are less tangible, but definitely longer lasting and more meaningful. With only 28 shopping days left until Christmas, I’d better get busy on both sets of gifts.
© M. T. Chamblee, 2011
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