Christmas presents

Just a quick post about Christmas and what it means to me. When I was a child we used to celebrate Christmas, we'd give out Christmas cards to our neighbours, friends and family and also exchange presents. I found out at the age of 5 that Father Christmas was not real, I caught my mum one night putting our Christmas presents out. It didn't bother me as I always used to get silly stuff such as underwear, socks and board games, my siblings would get toys. Although we had everything we needed my mum was a single parent trying to raise three children and working two jobs just to keep us afloat.

Well as the years went buy and we grew up I realised just how spoilt children really are, Christmas started getting more expensive and children got more demanding, competition was also rife. After the school holidays when we went back to school in January everyone would talk about what they got and how expensive their toys were, then there was me who was too embarrased to admit that I got socks and underwear! As everyone used to argue who spent the most and got the most I realised that everyone is just too materialistic. I vowed that I would never go crazy with presents when I had children of my own.

Now that I am a mother of a cheeky little monkey my thoughts have not changed, with just a few weeks left to go until Christmas 2012 everyone is going crazy again! I find it sad, Christmas is not about who gets the most presents, the best presents and the most expensive presents. Christmas is about God giving the world a big present which was his only son, Jesus.

I know that the three wise men came and gave gifts but they were to celebrate the birth of Jesus with each gift having a meaning. People nowadays have forgotten that and have fallen prey to all the shops luring them with shiny new gifts to lavish to their friends and family. I am grateful to my mum for the socks and vests that I got, it kept me nice and cosy on those chilly winter days.

So I have decided that I will encourage my daughter to be kinder to people, every year we will go to orphanages and distribute toys and clothes to the less fortunate. As I will only have one child she has the best of everything, separate clothes for when she is at home and when she goes out, meaning that some of her going out clothes have only been worn once! I used to sell a lot of her clothes off eBay but it was such a pain having to go to the post office all the time, then I realised that I could teach her to give to others.

I regularly donate my own clothes to charity as I am a compulsive shopper and feel good that I am giving away perfectly good clothes and shoes to people who need them more than I do.

I think everyone should give to charities and the less fortunate as it is a form of recycling things that are still good but giving them another home. I have phoned up a few orphanages and have picked four that I will visit and distribute clothes and toys to.

Happy Holidays!

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