Celebrating The Good Moments
Christmas in Hawaii - 2010
I love the holidays. But I mean, don't we all? I've yet to come across someone who loathed them and if I ever did, I would probably never want to see or talk to that person ever again in my entire life. (I mean, there is grumpy and there is I-hate-the-holidays grumpy and those are two very different things.)
I remember the holidays as a child, Christmas in particular. And what I remember most, besides being around family and friends and loving the season every time it came around, were the presents. I remember the presents so vividly because there were so many of them. We celebrated at my grandparents' house, and the presents would start from under the tree and literally expand all the way to the front door. And my grandparents have a big house.
Presents. So. Many. Presents.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining per say (especially back then, as a child, I thought I was in seventh heaven) but now that I'm a mother and have two small boys, my thoughts about the holidays have changed. And it's only been in the past couple years, because during those first few years after my boys were born, I did go all out. I bought them way too many gifts and I made a big deal about "well, what do you want? Anything you want!" and I remember the stress and financial strain and how after it was all said and done, I didn't look back and get that warm, Christmas-y feeling I thought I would.
So I quit. I quit with all the gifts. I quit with giving my kids a pen and paper and letting them write down fifty different toys they wanted waiting for them under the tree. (When I say I quit with the gifts, I mean I quit with the over abundance of gifts. They still get their stocking filled and two or three presents max from Santa.)
I love the holidays. But I mean, don't we all? I've yet to come across someone who loathed them and if I ever did, I would probably never want to see or talk to that person ever again in my entire life. (I mean, there is grumpy and there is I-hate-the-holidays grumpy and those are two very different things.)
I remember the holidays as a child, Christmas in particular. And what I remember most, besides being around family and friends and loving the season every time it came around, were the presents. I remember the presents so vividly because there were so many of them. We celebrated at my grandparents' house, and the presents would start from under the tree and literally expand all the way to the front door. And my grandparents have a big house.
Presents. So. Many. Presents.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining per say (especially back then, as a child, I thought I was in seventh heaven) but now that I'm a mother and have two small boys, my thoughts about the holidays have changed. And it's only been in the past couple years, because during those first few years after my boys were born, I did go all out. I bought them way too many gifts and I made a big deal about "well, what do you want? Anything you want!" and I remember the stress and financial strain and how after it was all said and done, I didn't look back and get that warm, Christmas-y feeling I thought I would.
So I quit. I quit with all the gifts. I quit with giving my kids a pen and paper and letting them write down fifty different toys they wanted waiting for them under the tree. (When I say I quit with the gifts, I mean I quit with the over abundance of gifts. They still get their stocking filled and two or three presents max from Santa.)
Colt's first Christmas - 2010
I quit because I remember something else from my childhood, something just as if not more clear than the mass amounts of presents.
I remember my grandpa taking us to the store to pick out gifts for kids our age who wouldn't be getting much for Christmas, whose families couldn't afford to buy the newest scooter or video game or even fill their stockings. I distinctly remember him sitting my cousins and I down and explaining to us that there were many, many kids in the world who weren't as fortunate as we were and wouldn't get to experience seeing multiple gifts under the tree.
I remember feeling emotional then and I still feel emotional now. If I could buy a present for every single child in this world, I could. But I can't, so I do what I can, and what I can do is raise my two children to be aware and have empathy for those who have less. I can raise them to understand it's more important to give than to receive, and yes I know it's such a cliché but only because it's so true.
So a tradition I have started in the past year or so and will continue to uphold, is every year at Christmas time, my boys will pick out some gifts for kids their age that don't have as much as them because I want them to understand and have a clear idea of what it means to truly give and be thankful.
But it doesn't just stop there. Going further, my kids won't get tons and tons of gifts. They don't need them, they certainly won't appreciate them all and it's not sending the right message about what the holidays are all about.
I quit because I remember something else from my childhood, something just as if not more clear than the mass amounts of presents.
I remember my grandpa taking us to the store to pick out gifts for kids our age who wouldn't be getting much for Christmas, whose families couldn't afford to buy the newest scooter or video game or even fill their stockings. I distinctly remember him sitting my cousins and I down and explaining to us that there were many, many kids in the world who weren't as fortunate as we were and wouldn't get to experience seeing multiple gifts under the tree.
I remember feeling emotional then and I still feel emotional now. If I could buy a present for every single child in this world, I could. But I can't, so I do what I can, and what I can do is raise my two children to be aware and have empathy for those who have less. I can raise them to understand it's more important to give than to receive, and yes I know it's such a cliché but only because it's so true.
So a tradition I have started in the past year or so and will continue to uphold, is every year at Christmas time, my boys will pick out some gifts for kids their age that don't have as much as them because I want them to understand and have a clear idea of what it means to truly give and be thankful.
But it doesn't just stop there. Going further, my kids won't get tons and tons of gifts. They don't need them, they certainly won't appreciate them all and it's not sending the right message about what the holidays are all about.
Christmas - 2009
I want my boys to know its family that matters, not presents. It's being kind that matters, not presents. It's being thankful for everything we do have that matters, not presents.
I want my kids to know the true meaning of the holiday season.
This post is in partnership with the New York Life's Keep Good Going campaign that encourages people to share their own special moments and experiences of good. New York Life with donate 25 meals to Feeding America for every tweet that includes hashtags #KeepGoodGoing and #FeedingAMillion.
So tweet your own holiday tradition or memory using those two specific hashtags! You can also visit the New York Life website and share a photo that reflects your own personal experiences about how you Keep Good Going during the holiday season!
*Through 1/9/15, New York Life with donate $2.50 for each approved post, with a minimum of $25K & a maximum of $100K. See Terms for details. Find info about Feeding America at feedingamerica.org.
Want to win a $50 Visa gift card and a $50 donation on behalf of Blogher in the winner's name to Feeding America? All you have to do is answer this one question: What are your family's holiday traditions?
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
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2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
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4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 12/1/2014 – 12/31/2014.
Be sure to visit the New York Life brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
I want my boys to know its family that matters, not presents. It's being kind that matters, not presents. It's being thankful for everything we do have that matters, not presents.
I want my kids to know the true meaning of the holiday season.
This post is in partnership with the New York Life's Keep Good Going campaign that encourages people to share their own special moments and experiences of good. New York Life with donate 25 meals to Feeding America for every tweet that includes hashtags #KeepGoodGoing and #FeedingAMillion.
So tweet your own holiday tradition or memory using those two specific hashtags! You can also visit the New York Life website and share a photo that reflects your own personal experiences about how you Keep Good Going during the holiday season!
*Through 1/9/15, New York Life with donate $2.50 for each approved post, with a minimum of $25K & a maximum of $100K. See Terms for details. Find info about Feeding America at feedingamerica.org.
Want to win a $50 Visa gift card and a $50 donation on behalf of Blogher in the winner's name to Feeding America? All you have to do is answer this one question: What are your family's holiday traditions?
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 12/1/2014 – 12/31/2014.
Be sure to visit the New York Life brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
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