Fom My DD, About This Years Christmas!

[tink2dw]

Alexandria Steelheart

About a week or two before Christmas, I found my mom in her room crying. I asked what was wrong and she said that she was sad because there would be no presents under the tree this year. You see, after paying all the bills and the rent, there was no money left for gifts.

So I reminded my mom that Christmas isn't about the material things we give each other and I'm old enough now to understand that Christmas is about celebrating Christ's Birth and spending time with family. I told her Material Things are nice, but that's not what makes Christmas. It's spending time with family and friends and celebrating the Birth of our Savior.

A few days later, my mom had a wonderful idea. Just because we cannot afford to buy gifts didn't mean we had to go without gifts under the tree. We could go online and find pictures of the things we would want to give to each other and wrap them up and put them under the tree. And the fun part about that was that it could be fantastical or unrealistic things or actual affordable things. Such as I could give my dad a trip on the Enterprise, which would take him to Deep Space 9 where he'd go to the Holosuites for an adventure... or a trip to Disneyland for my Mom... or it could be something like a tinkerbell toy or a star trek toy.

So we did just that, and it was a wonderful Christmas Morning, filled with love and joy.

 

[pixiewings71]

Your DD sounds like she is very intelligent. I made a lot of things this year.

 

[PebblesMK]

Alexandria Steelheart

About a week or two before Christmas, I found my mom in her room crying. I asked what was wrong and she said that she was sad because there would be no presents under the tree this year. You see, after paying all the bills and the rent, there was no money left for gifts.

So I reminded my mom that Christmas isn't about the material things we give each other and I'm old enough now to understand that Christmas is about celebrating Christ's Birth and spending time with family. I told her Material Things are nice, but that's not what makes Christmas. It's spending time with family and friends and celebrating the Birth of our Savior.

A few days later, my mom had a wonderful idea. Just because we cannot afford to buy gifts didn't mean we had to go without gifts under the tree. We could go online and find pictures of the things we would want to give to each other and wrap them up and put them under the tree. And the fun part about that was that it could be fantastical or unrealistic things or actual affordable things. Such as I could give my dad a trip on the Enterprise, which would take him to Deep Space 9 where he'd go to the Holosuites for an adventure... or a trip to Disneyland for my Mom... or it could be something like a tinkerbell toy or a star trek toy.

So we did just that, and it was a wonderful Christmas Morning, filled with love and joy.

Sounds like it was a good Christmas despite not having anything. But why wouldn't your family make things for each other? In years past I have baked for my brother, organized my mom's pictures, made a simple scrapbook with materials I had on hand, sewed a blanket from my daughter's clothes she grew out of, made ornaments from salt dough, painted pictures...so many cheap/free things you could have done. Sometimes it's the handmade items that are the most treasured. I can't imagine not being able to scrape together a few dollars for a gift-but if it happens again, take a look at pinterest and you'll find some good ideas for gifts you can make out of things you have on hand. (I'm assuming you can still afford internet since you posted this). Hope your new year is good!

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

Sounds like it was a good Christmas despite not having anything. But why wouldn't your family make things for each other? In years past I have baked for my brother, organized my mom's pictures, made a simple scrapbook with materials I had on hand, sewed a blanket from my daughter's clothes she grew out of, made ornaments from salt dough, painted pictures...so many cheap/free things you could have done. Sometimes it's the handmade items that are the most treasured. I can't imagine not being able to scrape together a few dollars for a gift-but if it happens again, take a look at pinterest and you'll find some good ideas for gifts you can make out of things you have on hand. (I'm assuming you can still afford internet since you posted this). Hope your new year is good!

I agree. We made a lot of gifts this year. Among them was a sugar scrub, made with sugar, olive oil and lemon extract. We made cookies, homemade candy, popcorn balls.

The variety of homemade things you could have done, for practically nothing, is astounding. Even if you couldn't come up with a few dollars, you can give gifts of time. Why not put together a coupon book, with coupons for things like promises to do a task that the person hates, or things like free baby-sitting?

Sitting around opening pieces of paper of things I'll never have sounds depressing. But, if your family enjoyed it, that's great.

 

[Marionnette]

I have to agree with PPs.

I don't think that wrapping pictures of what you would buy if you had money is doing anything to change your focus. I think that a letter to each other that highlights what you love about each other would have been more productive than scraps of paper with images of something you will never own. For me, it would only emphasize how little I had and still brings attention to the materialistic aspect of the holiday season instead of the spiritual side. It would have gone over like a lead balloon in my house.

But it sounds as if this made the OP's holiday more joyful, so I'm glad that it worked for her family. I hope next year finds her in a better position to put a little something under the tree for everyone.

 

[Iforgetmypassword]

I have to agree with PPs.

I don't think that wrapping pictures of what you would buy if you had money is doing anything to change your focus. I think that a letter to each other that highlights what you love about each other would have been more productive than scraps of paper with images of something you will never own. For me, it would only emphasize how little I had and still brings attention to the materialistic aspect of the holiday season instead of the spiritual side. It would have gone over like a lead balloon in my house.

But it sounds as if this made the OP's holiday more joyful, so I'm glad that it worked for her family. I hope next year finds her in a better position to put a little something under the tree for everyone.

Me, too. What happened to "celebrating Christ's birth", and "spending time with family"? I understand this WAS spending time with the family, but, sitting around looking at things I'll never have is not how I wish to spend my time with my family.

I love the idea of organizing pictures!! My daughter did that for me one year. I loved it. How about spending time together as a family, on an activity that also celebrates Christ's birth? Go caroling door to door? Spend time at a place like a nursing home? Go volunteer to serve dinner at a church on Christmas? Those would be great family activities.

By the way, who is Alexandria Steelheart?

 

[bababear_50]

Wonderful OP
Thank-you for sharing your beautiful and heartwarming Christmas with us.
Your post has given me alot of thought as to how we (my family) are spending Christmas each year.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
Hugs Mel

 

[tink2dw]

Alexandria Steelheart is my DD's Internet name.

The thing that made it work for us is we are all Adults!

We chose a Physics ... Albert Einstein, space-time warp Christmas. We love Star Trek!!

We could choose fantasy, Like the WDW trip I have been Dreaming of years. Or the Harley Flat Head, pic, with the Las Vegas strip at night all lit up,pic, with the ticket from Elvis Mansion tour[I save], and then a pic from Sturgis, the place all motorcyclist want to go one day.

Or a Vanilla Candle or a Calender that be purchased in January.[warp]

We had a very fun Dollar Store Christmas last year, too.

But this Christmas, caught me in the hospital mid month in a very bad Addison's Crisis it had be treated fast or I would have gotten even worse.

So, no money! I planned to have $60.00, but it was not to be. So I invented the Virtual Christmas!! And it was a real hit!!!!!