'tis the season to be... materialistic?

I was thinking about Christmas today and all that there is to do and see during the holidays. For some reason when I was little I enjoyed the madness starting around Thanksgiving, but now days it's more a hassle than enjoyable. Maybe it comes from working retail and food service on too many black Fridays. Maybe it comes from the lack of money and time to shop for things. Maybe it's because I hate Christmas music.

It's hard sometimes to not feel like a scrooge this time of year. It's because every time "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" comes on the radio I cringe. It's because I am disgusted by the amount of money, time, and energy spent on gift giving. Don't get me wrong, I love  present as much as the next poor college student, but I guess when I see the madness, the traffic, the general lack of concern for the meaning behind the holiday itself, I loose interest at the very least.

When people fight over parking spaces at the mall just to buy the next doodad or thingamajig or nearly cause an accident because everyone is in such a big rush, it irks me. Not just during the holidays, but everyday. I guess I notice it more now because I just expect people to be kinder, more considerate, and a little more forgiving this time of year. It doesn't really happen that way.

So here I sit feeling like the anti-Christmas scrooge while I just spent the whole night baking cookies and wondering why I care at all. I think I like the idea of Christmas spirit, but in a more meaningful way. I like to bake because I can share what I make with the people I love. I like to give gifts, material or not, because it shows the people I care for that I am thinking of them and I love them and they so important in my life.

Whether you buy into the spiritual side of Christmas or not, there is so much more than crazy malls and eating food that lead to a resolution to shed the resultant pounds come New Year's. I am realizing that and I hope you do too. I have found that without this notion of the deeper side of Christmas, you miss out on some really great moments.