Strangers also ask my kids if Santa is going to bring them toys. Have they seen Santa this year? I smile kindly and answer for my two year old that she hasn't seen him this year. What I don't say is that we don't do Santa. We never have and never will.
This is the time of year that we get to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We want to keep it that way, pure and simple. As the children get older, we are trying to teach them the joy of giving, rather than solely focused on what they're gonna get.
My husband and I keep the gift count low, not only because it can get expensive to buy a lot of gifts, but because we'd like to keep The Gi-mes at bay. Much to our chagrin and dismay, last year at my inlaws, my oldest (then five) looked at her pile of loot and then underneath the empty tree and asked "Is that it?" Yes, she was only five and it was a simple question... but underneath that hovered a spirit of greed that I didn't want to feed.
Whether your deck the halls with Santas and elves or nativity scenes and cherubim (or all of it!), remember that the reason for the season is to show one another love and mercy. Not all gifts have ribbons or wrapping paper, after all.
God bless us, everyone!
I had a similar feeling years ago I grew up in a family with six children, so even with only one or two gifts per person under the tree, it was jam-packed.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first had kids, our tree looked so empty. I had to work at not stuffing stuff on them. We'd buy one or two 'special' gifts, the rest of the presents were underwear, socks, and other normal necessities. Just this year, my oldest reminded me of his tidy white size!
You have a good grip on things! Keep writing!