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Very timely
My wife and I sat this weekend to go over the X-Mas list of who "needs" what. We got half way through this thing and we just shook our heads. Theoretically, we'd spent a bunch of money on people that are going to love us whether they get a gift from us or not. Most of all, they really didn't "need" any of the crap we were going to be buying for them. In the mean time, my kids (7 & 4) are no closer to knowing what X-Mas should really be about.
We decided that we're going to focus on "giving" our time and money to folks that can really use the help and the cash. I can assure you that I feel infinitely better after I have helped someone with my time or money, vs. watching that gratuitous smile or thank you of a family member that just got another gift certificate to Captain D's. So, my youngest son and I are fixing up his old bike and will be donating that to a X-Mas fund for orphans. My oldest son and his Mother are going through old toys this week and will be fixing them up and dusting them off so we can take them to our Church for families that don't have the cash to buy gifts for their kids. We're also planning to spend some time preparing X-Mas meals for the homeless and having our kids with us to help hand them out.
I want my kids to understand how lucky they really are. I also want them to understand that X-Mas is as much about giving as it is receiving. Thanks for posting this, Roy. It really enforces how we're planning to utilize the Holiday's.
Cheers!
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