Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...
Dec. 18th, 2002 11:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deathpixieSoaring tempertaures, stressed family members, money worries out the wazoo... Ah, it's that time of year again.
Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas. Love it, in fact. But that's the day itself, generally the first half, before we're invaded and things get tense in the parental department. Yes, stress-related illnesses benefit so much from having a bunch of relatives drop in and expect a party. But the bits beforehand? Ugh, you can keep them, especially when it's compounded this year by the fact that I have not even the money for postage to send cards. Hell, I can barely afford gifts for my family - my brother and I went halves in teh grandparents' gifts this year.
What makes it harder is that people are asking me what I want and hinting there are cards/gifts in the works. Which sucks, because I can't return the gesture except with a lousy free e-card. I know it's not about value, but I really get a kick out of gift giving, seeing the reaction a well-thought-out gift has. And people have already done so much for me this year that I feel like doing something. And time is another commodity I don't have, which means writing specific stuff is also out.
Financial woes are the bane of a generous nature, I can tell you.
Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas. Love it, in fact. But that's the day itself, generally the first half, before we're invaded and things get tense in the parental department. Yes, stress-related illnesses benefit so much from having a bunch of relatives drop in and expect a party. But the bits beforehand? Ugh, you can keep them, especially when it's compounded this year by the fact that I have not even the money for postage to send cards. Hell, I can barely afford gifts for my family - my brother and I went halves in teh grandparents' gifts this year.
What makes it harder is that people are asking me what I want and hinting there are cards/gifts in the works. Which sucks, because I can't return the gesture except with a lousy free e-card. I know it's not about value, but I really get a kick out of gift giving, seeing the reaction a well-thought-out gift has. And people have already done so much for me this year that I feel like doing something. And time is another commodity I don't have, which means writing specific stuff is also out.
Financial woes are the bane of a generous nature, I can tell you.
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no subject
Date: 2002-12-17 08:44 pm (UTC)Since when is Christmas become monetary?
Date: 2002-12-18 04:43 am (UTC)Honestly, it really *is* the thought that counts. Because the fact that you think enough of someone to send them anything, even the so called crappy e-card (I suggest www.hallmark.com, they have some great e-cards.) should mean something to the person you're sending it to.
I know myself that you've sent me e-cards at times when I really, really needed to know that I had a friend that was thinking about me. I didn't care that it didn't cost you any money. I cared that you were thinking about me, and you wanted to make me smile.
And that's what Christmas is about, dammit. It's about reaching out to your friends and family and letting them know, "I'm thinking about you, and I care." Not about how much the gift you're giving them is.
And yeah, other people may be sending you gifts, but I very much doubt they're sending them with a price tag attached, mate. *hugs* Stop the bloody guilts already, you silly pixie. *grins*
Anyhoo, I'll get off my soapbox now but I will say this. Send the e-cards. If they're true friends, they'll know the meaning behind the gift and will just care that you thought enough about them to send something at all. To me, that's special enough.
*hugs tight* And no stress, you. Because then I'd have to tickle you, and do you have any idea how much it hurts pulling feathers out of my wings, dammit? ;)