[celstu1]

Originally Posted by Jenn218

Goodness...I hear you all! Everyone's story is the same, but yet unique - layoffs, struggling to make ends meet, holiday time without loved ones (Connie, you are always in our thoughts and prayers).

I absolutely LOVE Christmas. I love the smells (my parents house still smells the same now as it did when I was a kid on Christmas morning), the spirit, the reason for the season, etc.

BUT this year...everyone is just bringing me down...and I don't like it. I mean, the guys in our family are NO gifts...no big dinner...etc, etc. They fear the economy will just keep getting worse! I didn't even feel like putting a tree up...and normally, my whole house, inside and out is all decorated before Thanksgiving weekend is over. I finally put the tree up...my excuse, for family pictures...but I haven't even done those yet. My holiday shopping...sigh....I have so much to do!

This year, to make the guys in my family happy...we are just buying for the kids (and NOT over doing it) and for the adults, we are doing the "dirty santa" game...which means we just need to buy one generic gift for male and female -- which I am finding that kind of hard to find special gifts that would suit anyone!

AND for the grandparents, we are all pitching in to make big goody boxes of items that they use every day and need - with a few little extra's thrown in - because they are living on such small incomes already, and with this economy, they need all the help they can get (even though they never ask for it).

Sigh....this is NOT how Christmas should be...there isn't a need to worry about money or gifts because this isn't why I celebrate Christmas...but in this world we live in now, it is all about money and material things. If we could just focus on the real reason and celebrating this special time with friends and loved ones - we wouldn't be stressed over money and gifts, we wouldn't be frazzled over holiday shopping in crowds, we wouldn't be so tired of all the running around and holiday cooking of huge meals and baking.

Remember Christmas is one day. Its 'US' that makes it a month long. Things you can do after christmas are things you can do before Christmas, one day should not stop you from doing what you need to do! Enjoy the one day. You don't know what next year will be like and you may regret being bah humbug this year.