All I wanted was a book, and Christmas threw up on me..

 

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I ventured out to the mall last weekend to pick up a last-minute birthday gift for my mom, bracing myself for the inevitable crush of holiday glitz. Sure enough, the bookstore was absolutely packed with people, most of whom looked harried and stressed and some, downright grumpy. “It’s November”, I thought.  What was everyone so frantic about?

In the last few years, as we’ve downsized and simplified our lives and our possessions, our values have shifted. At times, I find myself feeling at odds with the world out there. Not too long ago, I too would have spent hours at the mall from early November until Christmas Eve, pushing through throngs of bustling shoppers to find the perfect “stuff” to buy for my family and friends. It was what the holidays were about. Now it just seems silly to me. Are those frowning people really thinking about the people they are buying for? Are they trying to meet some arbitrary spending amount so they’ll feel like they’ve given “enough”? Do we even know what this season is all about anymore?

I’m not religious, but I do celebrate Christmas, and it can be hard to find meaning in the holiday season when you’re not focused on either the religious or the material aspects of the time. It was easy for me to be cynical that day in the bookstore. I’m just getting sick of all the crap out there, and the drive to consume all of that crap, and the need to part with our money to do so. Trying to think of lists of things I “need” for people to buy for me when really, I have everything and more that I could ever want. Finding a way to create a bigger meaning for my kids when my four-year-old already states definitively that his favorite part of Christmas is “all the new toys”.

This is the first Christmas where many of the gifts I give will be handmade. Crocheted infinity scarves and homemade foot scrub for the kids’ teachers at school. Paintings for a relative who has just bought her first home, along with crocheted dish cloths (‘cause they are the best dish cloths, everyone knows that!). Those that aren’t made by me will be purchased with care and real consideration for the recipient, rather than with the amount of money spent, mostly from local artisans or shops. This knowledge makes it easier for me to brave the crowds and the jarring marketing campaigns, imploring me to “buy, buy, buy!” Its allowing me to sink into the real meaning of the holiday season which for me, is family and love. That’s it. Simple.

Be careful out there, and kind. Remember that the stuff doesn’t really matter in the end, the people do. And when you do buy, buy local, buy handmade.