I always struggle with conflicting feelings during the holiday season, as I am sure many others do. One the one hand, we are supposed to be thankful and appreciate all that we have, which is usually much more than we need. And on the other, there is so much pressure from the outside world to buy things that we really don’t need, especially during the holidays.
As a professional organizer, what I often see when I visit my clients during the holiday season is not joy and thankfulness, but stress. Stress about buying just the right gift. Stress about where to hide the presents. Stress about having to wrap everything just right. Stress about what to get rid of in order to make room for the extra things coming in. Stress about having just too much stuff in general and nowhere to put it all. And the worst of it is, when the gift gets opened, the recipient’s appreciation is usually so much less than what the giver had hoped and expected it to be. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at the unenthusiastic reaction: everyone simply has too many things already!
We have long had a policy in my family of giving only one or two gifts per person, and this year, I am going to try to convince the adults in the family to exchange “experience” gifts only. I honestly don’t need another piece of jewelry from my husband, but I would love to go out to a play or concert with him one night. I love massages, pedicures, and nice dinners out, but never want to spend the money myself on those kinds of luxuries. My children don’t need yet another video game that will be out of date in a few months, but a ticket to a great concert or show is a memory that will last a lifetime. We gave one of my sons tickets to Spamalot a couple of years ago, and to Book of Mormon last year, and he will remember those plays long after he stops playing Super Smash Bros. My older son, who is quite a clothes horse, may not really care for this particular policy, so I may cave on that…
This year, try to make your holidays easier by giving consumable or experience gifts to adults, and fewer, more meaningful gifts to children. See if you can buy locally made or handmade items from small stores rather than large chains and malls. And whatever you do, DON’T ruin the joy and beauty of Thanksgiving, a holiday which is quickly becoming overlooked in the mad rush to get out and buy, buy, buy on Black Friday (I honestly can’t think of a worse name for a day!) I resolve this holiday season to hang out with friends and loved ones on the Friday after Thanksgiving and eat leftovers, go to holiday concerts and light shows, volunteer to help others in need, and truly appreciate my family and all that I have in my life already.
