
I have realized more than ever that Christmas is not about gifts… at all. The biggest gift we were all given was Jesus being born to save the world 2,000 years ago. A gift we are given every year is simply being alive, and being able to be with people we love. Presence not presents!!! I think a lot of people do not understand what this holiday actually is… and I am guilty too, having been one of those people the last 28 years of my life.
Why do we find the need to put ourselves into temporary debt to prove our love to other people? We will go out into overcrowded stores, drain our wallets dry, while stressing the entire time on not getting “enough.” What exactly is enough? A gift should be something given from the heart. A gift should be something that made someone think of you, so they wanted you to have it. Whether you spent hundreds of dollars or nothing but time making it yourself… a gift should be given from the heart. I overheard someone tell another person “did you see your gifts?? He really does love you!” All while knowing it actually is a very unhealthy relationship. I’ve seen mothers stress out about not having enough for their children, when being their protector and biggest fan is more than enough. I’ve seen people fighting over who got this and who is buying what. I’ve felt my own sadness in Christmas, for it’s just not what it used to be when I was younger. I didnt take any pictures this season and I didn’t even put up a tree. Call me the grinch, but it just wasn’t what everyone tries to make it look like to me.
I am at a point in my life where I am just seeing through different eyes I suppose. I am seeing a bigger picture, the only picture. IT’S JESUS’ BIRTHDAY!! This world has people who do not even believe in God, or Jesus for that matter… celebrating christmas! How does that work?? Just goes to show how misguided people actually are on what this season is all about.

This year, I made a promise to myself for next year and every Christmas to come after that. I will NOT go above and beyond buying things to prove my love for people, for I will love them hard all year. I will not post all of my presents on social media, just the people and places that are gifts to me. I will be a gift, being present. I will be thankful and find joy in the most beautiful fact of it all, my savior was born that day. If we can throw people parties and plan certain gifts on their birthday, how do we not do the same for Jesus? How do we not thank him and give him the gift of being full of love, while trying to be the purest version of ourselves ? That’s all he wants. Jesus doesn’t want our money, or any materialistic item we possess. He wants us to have faith, believe in him, and watch how everything else falls into place. There is a reason for our life. There is a reason that Jesus was born right before a new year. He is a yearly and daily reminder that anything or anyone can start over. Don’t count the days, make the days count. Don’t praise all the materialistic gifts you get under the tree, be thankful for the actual gifts you have around the tree. God bless.