What's the point of all those presents? (page 2)

GLTirebiter

Your last line is the right attitude, troubled mind! It's not about busting the budget and trying to exchange the most and best "stuff", it's about telling somebody that they're loved.

GLT

Gift giving becomes confusing when there are JWs, ex JWs and never been JWs in the family. If the JWs give the non-JWs in the family a gift and there's no tradition attached to it, the non-JWs wonder what's going on. Then they find out they can't give the JWs a gift for xmas or birthdays and confusion sets in big time.

Sometimes it's easier to do nothing.

beksbks

I have celebrated christmas for almost 25 years now, after not celebrating for about 25, having grown up a dub. I heard over and over and over again how horrible it was that people overextended themselves on this one day..................................blah blah blah. I love it. It's exciting. Finding, giving and receiving gifts that have real thought in them is so much fun. And it's not about feeling obligated, it's more like giving yourself permission to be frivolous. I've received expensive gifts that were thoughtless, and I've received humble gifts that told me the person giving really knows me. So many people are worried about giving or getting practical gifts. Part of the fun is knowing that you are giving someone something they would feel guilty getting for themselves. It's wonderful all around. Get over your JW indoctrination, and do what feels good.

Finally-Free

I'm not big on receiving gifts either. What makes it worse is that most people give me the very things I'm trying to eliminate from my life for health reasons. Things like big boxes of chocolates, boxes of cookies, etc. Not the sort of things a diabetic needs in front of his face constantly. When I get home these things go straight to the trash. I prefer to just get together with a couple of friends and have a nice dinner.

W

penny2

I prefer to just get together with a couple of friends and have a nice dinner.

Finally-Free, I'm glad someone else feels the same as I do. Do you wanna have dinner sometime?

penny

beksbks

My mother is crowded in her living space, and has asked not to get "stuff". I like to give her goodies and events. My daughter gave her tickets to the symphony, and my son gave her a "coupon" for dinner the same night. So she gets to be with two of her grandchildren and do what she enjoys. No clutter. It really is all about putting the effort in to it. It always shows, and it's not about money.

Finally-Free

Do you wanna have dinner sometime?

I'd love to, just let me know when you're in the area. I hope you don't mind birds. This year Rocco flew across the house and landed on the dining room table while we had Christmas dinner. He landed his butt in the bun basket and his beak in the rum/butter carrots.

W

mrsjones5

It's really the thought that counts. I spoke to a lady at my younger sons' school and she said that her extended family don't exchange gifts anymore (there are just too many of them) so they've come up with a tradition of gathering at different spots to celebrate the holiday like Tahoe or San Francisco or Monterey. They've done it for a while now and all the family loves it, even the children who are in college now make sure not to miss the great family get-together.

I love the idea.

penny2

Just to have a tradition that the whole family could agree on would be a wonderful thing.

Beks, it's lovely that the kids like to spend time with their grandma - I've sure that means a lot to her.

This year Rocco flew across the house and landed on the dining room table while we had Christmas dinner.

Rocco obviously likes to be included in things and maybe wanted first taste of the rum. You weren't serving chook or turkey, were you?

Mysterious

The solution to unwanted presents -> a family of inlaws that ask you to list what you want. The solution to going broke -> the other side oft he family being JWs.

Yep got this one figured out.

Did over 25 cards last year..did 0 cards this year. No one seems to have noticed.

What's the point of all those presents?

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