Thanksgiving at daughters was surprising pleasant. There was no bickering between them and son-in-law didn't nit-pick the boys or her. Believe this maybe the frequency having transformed even this very abrasive family, as it's the most pleasant visit I've ever had with them as a group. All in all a day to truly give thanks for.
And here we are ~~ Black Friday ~~ according to U.S. retailers the biggest shopping day of the year. Good heavens stores opened midnight on Thanksgiving to lure in sales. How many will over spend, racking up debit on credit, for money they don't have to spend cause they haven't made it yet? Personally I know nothing about this as a shopper, however as store owners participated as members of the businessman's association. We tried once to compete with sales and from then on just advertised our special services and normal everyday honest low prices. Christmas was just never about the expensive gift buying to me, I'd always felt that took from the meaning. Even those who did not adhere to Christianity could participate in giving out of appreciation for others, it didn't have to be about the gift, but rather appreciation and love shared between people.
Having grown up in a moderate income Christian family, gift giving was in moderation. While raising my family, we were pressed for funds, much of the giving was on need or hand-made. It was love being shown not the money we could spend. Often today I think how sad and how much is being missed by both the giver and receiver when these efforts are no longer appreciated. I've watched the latest generations of children and adults realizing they truly don't have appreciation for the love put into something someone toils over. They truly don't know that this love is energy and it radiates from the item for ever after.
It was my sister who most cherished my gifts as I did hers, we both ventured into hand making our giving. I can still see the child like glow behind wrinkles around her in her eyes under a crop of gray hair as she related to me her excited anticipation searching under the Christmas Tree each year for the shoe box our maternal Grandmother had sent. Living in near poverty, over a days drive away we only saw her a couple days a year. She was a farmers wife, quite self-sufficient and with love never failed to make some small cherished gift for each of her twelve grandchildren. The cupcakes of home made Maple Candy and small treasure were always accompanied by a Love Note, tucked securely in an old shoe box tied with used ribbon, that most likely cost more to ship than the physical treasure inside..
That is the giving I remember, the gifts most looked forward to and most treasured over the years. IT truly is a black day when people know nothing of this. This was gifting when people gave "Love from their heart" because that was the only thing they had worth giving.
And here we are ~~ Black Friday ~~ according to U.S. retailers the biggest shopping day of the year. Good heavens stores opened midnight on Thanksgiving to lure in sales. How many will over spend, racking up debit on credit, for money they don't have to spend cause they haven't made it yet? Personally I know nothing about this as a shopper, however as store owners participated as members of the businessman's association. We tried once to compete with sales and from then on just advertised our special services and normal everyday honest low prices. Christmas was just never about the expensive gift buying to me, I'd always felt that took from the meaning. Even those who did not adhere to Christianity could participate in giving out of appreciation for others, it didn't have to be about the gift, but rather appreciation and love shared between people.
Having grown up in a moderate income Christian family, gift giving was in moderation. While raising my family, we were pressed for funds, much of the giving was on need or hand-made. It was love being shown not the money we could spend. Often today I think how sad and how much is being missed by both the giver and receiver when these efforts are no longer appreciated. I've watched the latest generations of children and adults realizing they truly don't have appreciation for the love put into something someone toils over. They truly don't know that this love is energy and it radiates from the item for ever after.
It was my sister who most cherished my gifts as I did hers, we both ventured into hand making our giving. I can still see the child like glow behind wrinkles around her in her eyes under a crop of gray hair as she related to me her excited anticipation searching under the Christmas Tree each year for the shoe box our maternal Grandmother had sent. Living in near poverty, over a days drive away we only saw her a couple days a year. She was a farmers wife, quite self-sufficient and with love never failed to make some small cherished gift for each of her twelve grandchildren. The cupcakes of home made Maple Candy and small treasure were always accompanied by a Love Note, tucked securely in an old shoe box tied with used ribbon, that most likely cost more to ship than the physical treasure inside..
That is the giving I remember, the gifts most looked forward to and most treasured over the years. IT truly is a black day when people know nothing of this. This was gifting when people gave "Love from their heart" because that was the only thing they had worth giving.
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