Christmas Feeling

Throughout this Christmas season, I thought to myself how much different Christmas feels this year. Not the day, but the season. How have you been feeling during the holidays? Have you felt as excited as you have in years gone by? Are you excited about the prospects of the upcoming year? Are you excited about how the Christmas season is turning out for you and your family? For me, I am sad to say that I am left with a certain amount of emptiness.

I’m not speaking from a spiritual point of view as I know the true meaning of Christmas and I am not solely focused upon the commercialized aspect of the season. But, I do want those around me to experience the Christmas they deserve, from both gift receiving and giving to the spiritual aspects of Christmas. This has been a tough year for most of us… a tough few years. I am ok with sacrificing all the commercial aspects of Christmas for myself, but I feel that it is my duty to provide for my loved ones a season in which they enjoy.

Christmas is not all about getting “stuff,” but sometimes, the “stuff” you want to give your loved ones truly means something. Without the means to provide it, it makes me feel empty. I am saddened by the fact that the commercialized Christmas takes away from the ultimate value it has in my life. I feel like I’ve succumbed to the massive marketing machines in our greedy and selfish world and allowed that aspect of Christmas gain too much importance in my life. This is the reason for my “empty” feeling.

Does any of this relate to how you are feeling during this year’s season? I have a feeling that many of us are feeling this way. We shouldn’t. We should be focused on the true reason for Christmas and not about the monetary portion of it. It’s hard not too though because everywhere we turn, we see and read about how horrible our economic situation is and how families are being turned inside out because their jobs are lost and their homes are being foreclosed. We also see things and think of nice gifts that would carry true meaning for our loved ones, but we can’t buy them. We just can’t…

Where do we go from here? I told my wife that I don’t want anything. I don’t NEED anything. All I NEED is her company and love. That is the absolute truth. I am past the age of wanting stuff just to have stuff. I am ok with less… more than ok, I NEED less. She responded with the same desire. She doesn’t want anything and doesn’t NEED anything. However, for some reason, I cannot do that… I cannot simply buy her nothing. What kind of husband would I be if my loving wife received nothing for Christmas? Would I not be a failure? Isn’t that what the commercialized world wants us to think? Don’t they want to guilt us into becoming a follower of their monetized Christmas season?

I admit I have been blinded by their greed and selfishness at times in my life. If I can say that I want, NEED, nothing, then why can’t I believe my wife when she tells me the same thing? I’m not lying to her so why would she lie to me? I believe that she is telling me the truth but my “world” view pushes me to discount her words. I still WANT to buy her “stuff.” The stuff I want to get her though means something to me and to her… because it’s from me. I want to fill her life with joy and satisfy her every need. How can she not WANT anything for Christmas?

It can be true because I honestly do not WANT anything for Christmas. Rather than focusing upon the gifts and the ability to purchase them, a return to the ultimate meaning of Christmas should be our focus. No longer would we feel empty or sad because we cannot fulfill the supposed needs of those we love by giving gifts. If we forgot about the commercialized aspect of Christmas, the emptiness would be gone. This article is actually a look at how I’ve felt over the last few months. I have progressed through these feelings, and as Christmas Day approaches, my empty feeling has been replaced with happiness.

That happiness resides in the fact that we are able to spend our time together, in love and truly happy… together. We are having a family dinner this evening with no gifts, just the people of our lives who can be with us, enjoying the Christmas season together. Tomorrow morning will be very small for us and I’m glad and content. My focus is upon my wife, my family, and my spiritual relationship… not with getting “stuff.” Tomorrow is Christ’s birthday. He was born to give his life for our salvation. That is the focus of Christmas, not receiving a gift. Merry Christmas to everyone and God bless your families.