It seems that everyone has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas: to spend time with those you love and to give more than you receive. The commercials for the new iPhone, the Barbie Hummer for six years old and the self-drive Tesla make it seem that Christmas is about spoiling yourself and your loved ones with lavish gifts, competing with your relatives over who can afford the most expensive item or the nicest handbag. Don't get me wrong, I love to receive gifts, I love the anticipation of opening presents and trying to guess what may be inside which box, however, I love watching other people open presents just as much.
Giving to others is the best and most rewarding part about the Christmas season. The fact that you've made someone happy, you've put some thought into a special gift for a special someone or you've simply given someone something that they wouldn't have been able to have otherwise should be present enough. We live in a society where money, materials, accessories and commercialization tends to get the best of us and makes us forget that we really only need what we already have: kindness, generosity and love (not to sound corny).
Being with our family and/or our friends during the season, having fun game nights, baking parties and just sharing memories with those we love is a nice break form the chaos and otherwise fast-paced lifestyle that we, millennials, are used to. We get so caught up in the media, the newest trends, the prettiest wrapping paper, the newest version of this phone or that car or these shoes. If we took a break to realize that all we really need to be happy is the smell of a Christmas tree, some good old hot chocolate and some quality time with our close family, we would probably save a whole lot of stress and a whole lot of money.
No, I am not saying we shouldn't buy presents or we shouldn't spoil our loved ones every once in a while, but my point is that Christmas isn't just about these things so don't get so upset if you can't find the number one item on your family member's wish list or the fact that you can't spend $50 on every single one of your friends. People appreciate kindness, thoughtfulness and effort more than knowing you almost had a mental breakdown trying to find them the Jet Black iPhone 7.
I guarantee that that if you take the time to slow down and enjoy your surroundings, as well as the people you have been blessed with and stop worrying about the hustle and bustle of finding presents, getting the Christmas dinner ready on time and pleasing all of your distant relatives, you will love Christmas that much more this year.
