Break the gift cycle

You’ve made it to the final stretch. The last week before Christmas. The halls are decked, the stockings hung, the kitchen refrigerator (and garage refrigerator) are packed full of yummy foods. But then that nagging feeling creeps in. Maybe you have already placed a few wrapped gifts under the tree. But is it enough? Are the kids going to bound out of bed on Christmas morning, running full speed towards the tree, and wowed by the abundant gifts under the tree. Have you done enough?

This is where I want you to stop yourself. Because it’s time to break the cycle. It’s time to end this association of a tree skirt completely invisible because it is covered in brightly wrapped boxes topped with bows.

It’s time to stop measuring your love in gifts.

Whether your loved ones are 4, 14, and 44, you can change how they see your love. We, the homemakers, the magic makers, the ones who set the tone for our family, get to decide what our families value.

We get decide whether our kids think our love for them is based on many gifts we buy, how much money we spend, and how much effort we put into getting the hottest item of the season. We get to decide whether we want to pretend that exchanging gifts with our partner is the best way to spend our shared money. We get to decide if we want to participate in the contest of who gave the fanciest gift at the extended family Christmas gathering.

We get to decide to resist the urge to buy more than we need and feed into the consumerist idea that our holiday joy revolves around gifts.

I promise you, the discomfort you are feeling in this moment, is worth it. Because when you wake up on December 25th, you will get to experience the first of many Christmases that are just enough. And enough is where the peace, joy, and meaning of the season live.