Christmas is all around us and materially everywhere we go...

The Christmas lights have been put up once more, lights twinkle out at me like a vibrant, flashing rainbow. Pots of gold wont be found underneath, but large, numerous wrapped boxes of delight and intrigue. The likes of would make any gnome, nymph, leprechaun or dwarf envious.
In the past these boxes could be wrapped in gold paper, or any color you wished, with things of little value inside. The neatly wrapped boxes portrayed what the giver wanted the receiver to feel. The contents mattered little, it was if someone loved you enough to buy or make you one. A gift wrapped with care meant that to someone it was the love that the gift offered. A gift meant someone wanted you to enjoy every aspect of Xmas, especially looking forward to the future, and in this case to the opening of the present.
A gift, wrapped, can stimulate many emotions in a person – anticipation, excitement, nervousness, impatience, and a sense of gratitude. A parent wants a child to feel all these things when growing up. The not knowing of what is to come, the looking forward to possibilities.
But as I look out at the icy, pristine sheet that covers the ground I wonder is Christmas really worth it anymore? Has Christmas lost its original meaning/purpose of spirituality and its simple gratitude for ones family?
I speak from personal experience- depression; ungratefulness and boredom are the three highest-ranking feelings my family and I (and I believe many others) experience during the holidays. Depression; because yet again my family is at war amongst itself over the smallest of things and members of the family are reminded of their mortality and the passing of years, ungratefulness; because I didn’t get what I wanted or one of my siblings got gifts which I see as being better than my own and thirdly, boredom; because after the initial gift opening and dinner gorging, there is very little to do but sit down and watch movies you have seen every xmas for the last 10 or so years. I may love the classic ‘Charlie and the chocolate factory’, but even that can get repetitively tedious to watch.
Then suddenly on reflection you realize that all your Christmases meld into one, and you can’t differentiate them when looking back except for the fights or some form of unpleasant event that separated them. Such as the chimney catching on fire, I think that one probably lightened the mood more than anything and that’s saying something!
Now moving on from all the doom and gloom. I have decided to take a pass on all the usual Xmas festivities’ this year during my sojourn in Ohio. Although I am slightly remiss about not being home for it, after 2 minutes of romanticizing the holiday, I quickly remember why I’m disappointed every year!! So this year I plan to splurge all my money on the after holiday sales! Agh yes the best Xmas pressie anyone could ask for! God bless America!
So Merry Xmas everyone!
Hope Santa brings a big sack regardless!