Replies to '12/13 Holiday Horror Stories'

For me I have many reasons why celebrating Christmas, or any Holiday for that matter, can be a disheartening time due to it has become so commercialized in the last several years. It is always about how much you are spending & not about the true meaning of the year. As a Christian, I strive to remember the true meaning & celebrate Christ's birth. Yes I buy the gifts for friends & family, but I also share the holiday with those who struggle with this time of year. To me it isn't about the tree, the ornaments, or even the lights nor the sales after Thanksgiving. I enjoy knowing that the gift of life & caring for others is where the true meaning of the holiday is. I have co-workers that weren't that eager to participate in Secret Santa or decorating our section of the call center (then again I have several who were more thna happy to help me out), but when they saw the decorations, the tree, & the way people lit up when they saw the change in the air, they were willing to place their depression or feelings aside to help out. I am a Mentor Supervisor for DTV, & we started seeing the excitement of the Season affect the customers we had on the phones. I believe anyone can sett aside their feelings about the holidays, & when you have children we need to consider them most of all. So yes I also see how Toys for Tots is a great way to spread the true meaning of Christmas.....it isn't about spending money.....it is about letting others know that no one is alone & someone is always available. As a Christian, I feel it my responsibility to reach out to others no matter what time of year it is. Buy that hamburger for the person standing at the off ramp, or buy a cup of coffee for a person who seems like the world is ending. Don't judge a book by its cover is simple if you are open to knowing that nothing is an accident, because God placed that event or person in your path for that very reason.

I experienced the loss of my brother in April of this year, & the only regret I have is that so many years were wasted because our family didn't take the time to enjoy being together more often. Yes we all had made our choices & were dealing with daily life, but instead of creating the memories when we had the chance it was easier just to move forward. Now that I am the only one who had children, my children will never know what my family (maternal) was like since only my husband's has made the effort to show what family holidays mean. My family has chosen not to take part in our family get togethers because I chose to be involved in my husband's family instead. Call it what you will........my last memory I have of a family christmas was when my grandfather hired one of his employees to play Santa. I was about 8 & my sister has just started getting around on her own & my mom was pregnant with my brother. That year Santa brougth all sorts of toys & treats for us, but what I loved most was my musical teddy bear. I still have the musical teddy bear that Santa gave me that year......I passed it on to my own children. I remember the laughter & the tears.....it wasn't about getting the most expensive toy, but about being together. After my grandfather died in 1991 family get togethers were next to impossible as my family decided that since I was married I was no longer under their influence & did all they could to exclude me...so in the end turning to my husband's family was a good thing. I remember our 1st christmas together when we were dating.....his family included me in their holiday & included my family on ones after that till my family chose to stay away.

Christmas is about the season of giving not about what we get out of it or at least it shouldn't. Have a wonderful holiday season no matter how you spend it, just remember  that friends & family can make some wonderful memories if the value isn't monetary!