Wait til that baby gets here! You'll really be burning it up then!

Yep and I can't wait!

I think that is the reason I hate Christmas is it is commercialized. I have seen people getting into physical fights with each other over traffic jams for the malls, trying to get good parking spaces, or trying to get the last of the latest toy for their kids. I see kids throwing hissy fits or people getting pissed off that if you haven't spent x amount of dollars on them or they didn't get what they wanted. Stores gouge people at this time of year. Nice that people are charitable but people need food and shelter all year long not just at Christmas, so where is this generosity after Christmas? People go through lots of depression at Christmas to the point of suicide. People are also stressed out of costs/obligations of buying gifts and the greed of people is disgusting. Families fight terribly over Christmas to the point of domestic violence. And what about those kids that are poor and have nothing; not very magical to them is it. This is why my brother and I just have a nice simple meal together rather than all the commercialization that goes with this time of year.

There is a difference between people who celebrate Christmas and people who take advantage of Christmas.

The latter are like children who want the icing on the cake without having any of the cake. They eat the icing only and end up with a sugar high.

Christmas can be really tough on a lot of people. And I agree that people going nuts buying themselves in debt is well just nuts.

I do like the opportunity to tell people they are special and even give some the help they need under the guise of celebrating the holidays. Probably why I tend to give practical gifts that either teach or give comfort rather than over priced luxuries.

Spending time or actually giving someone work is a better gift than putting them in the position of having to feel destitute because they can't afford to reciprocate. Dignity is a gift.

Holidays do tend to emphasis the shortages so many have in having happy holiday memories. Family fights can make the holidays miserable for years to come and should be avoided when ever possible.

Making the choice to not drink or force unhappy contacts would go a long way to keep a lot of people from having miserable holidays. So what it isn't as "fun" or the traditional Norman Rockwell holiday. No kid remembers exhausted tense forced marches to be with people who are putting on a show as their picture of happy holidays drunk off their feet.

And lots of kid really don't like getting cornered into Charity parties that pass out cheap toys and make their parents feel like losers. It embarrasses them and often makes them targets for bullying and resentment.

A lot of people don't want to believe it but handing out free food and gifts is often counter productive to wooing the truly needy into comprehensive help programs and can be very dangerous. Giving homeless people who are already malnourished sweets or high carb foods lands many in hospitals every year because they can't control their diabetes or just digest some foods. Giving away tainted or uncooked or unrefrigerated food causes food poisoning life threatening diarrhea.

Every winter season public workers find homeless frozen to death in saturated blankets because they try to risk the night that a blanket will not be enough protection for.

Giving what appears to be the weakest and most destitute hats, gloves, or other supplies in limited quantities often makes them the victim of stronger and more aggressive peers who will gladly attack them the minute you are out of site.

Quite agree.

Well put and very informative perspective on this.

Those horrible things you talk about happen because people don't give with their whole heart. I've been on both sides. I received a food basket from my work when I was 17. Never felt undignified. You bet I remembered it. When I had my first baby I lived with my sister and two nephews and the only income we had coming in was my small short term disability check. Barely enough to keep the lights and water on let alone Christmas gifts or a fancy Christmas dinner. Dec 23 a knock on the door brought food (not spoiled, not junk) and gifts plenty! Not cheap toys either but good ones and clothes too! I didn't feel ashamed. That family gave with their whole hearts and I felt love! I sure couldn't give back at that time but every day is an opportunity to help someone. Hold a door for them, work a soup kitchen, lend a hand or give a hug. Just because bad things sometimes happen doesn't mean you just give up! Love with all your heart, thats the true meaning of Christmas!

Well love with all your heart may be the true meaning of Christmas but for most its all about greed. Too bad more people don't think like you then I could tolerate Christmas.

(Hugs) navygirl

Thanks.