My tree would never let me get away with it...

I spoke with a man today who decided with his wife last year to step away from the commercialization of Christmas. They have six children, the youngest one being five years old.

He said they felt that they were perpetuating a legacy of skewed values in their kids by participating in the Santa/give-a-gift-to-get-a-gift scenario, when Christmas is really supposed to be about the birth of Jesus. It’s supposed to be about receiving the unbelievably priceless gift of salvation, reconciliation with God made available through His Son.

I thought about this. I’ve been disgusted with the endless ads and commercials and pressure to “give the perfect gift.” This year I’ve purposely separated myself from the hype. Still, I’m not going to cut off Christmas entirely.

Gift giving should be a sincere gesture, a token of love and friendship and thoughtfulness, not something done out of obligation or expectation of a return on the investment. Kids can learn this; they can benefit from experiencing the joy of making or picking out something for someone they love, wrapping it and giving it away. As long as their parents remember it, too.