Christmas Cheer for all to hear, plus all that gifting pressure

I can't help but share some great news: my brother is cancer-free. How about that for a Christmas gift??! My parents are obviously over the moon and I can't help but be grateful to have such an awesome, strong, amazingly funny brother.

Now, let's talk about real meaning of Christmas, the presents! (JOKE) I have been done with the bulk of my Christmas shopping for about a week or so, marking the first time I've ever been done before the like, the 24th of December. I told Adrian in November not to be surprised because I was going to buy whatever I wanted since our situation prevented us from doing any sort of gift-giving last year. As soon as I purchased the last gift this year, I felt a sense of relief, ahhhhh. How great it felt to know that I was able to really buy the things I wanted, or at least the gifts I know my family will really enjoy.

Then I started speaking to friends, and oh, all the "stuff" they were buying and the "things" they had found for their sons, daughters, moms, dads, sisters and brothers. "Did I buy enough? Have I done my daughterly duty by buying a, b, and c for mom and x, y, and z for dad? Must. Get. More. Stuff!!"

I immediately thought, okay, I can run out and buy this with the few bucks I have left of our Christmas budget and maybe squeeze that in on a credit card, but you know what? I just paid that credit card off and those extra few bucks can go towards our desert trip in January instead of feeding into a guilt that is created by comparing things. stuff. material. objects.

It's important to keep reminding myself that although Christmas has become a holiday of giving, it's also a holiday of reflection on the "things" that matter most, which is why I started this post with such great news. All the other "stuff" is just a bonus.

I don't want to feel obligated to buy Gabriel an extra five toys (like I was almost tempted to!) because of the guilt from last year or because a friend has gotten her son more toys than I did. What I do want is for my family to feel loved, for them to know that I thought about them with each gift I purchased and that the things I found were just what they would have wanted.

Instead of teaching my son that Christmas is about volume, I want him to know that it's about love. I don't want him to remember all of the toys he got and what he liked most, though I hope that he appreciates all of the things we've purchased for him. What I do want him to remember is how special it was to spend Christmas Eve with his cousins, the joy in seeing Santa (my dad) walk in and the peace and reminder of the real meaning of Christmas that comes from the church service.