It was the week before Christmas...

This Christmas we have decided to do something a bit different in terms of gift giving. We did the regular "pull the names out of a hat or cup or object that allows for easy name grabbing access", but instead of scowering the malls or shopping feverishly online we have decided to donate to a charity. It does seem a bit unconventional but I don't think I had been this excited about Christmas in a long time. It is quite amazing how far thirty dollars can go! I think, during this season, we often forget about why we are buying gifts in the first place. We get so caught up in the frenzy and consequently grow to dislike the "holidays." We buy more and more every year but never seem to feel satisfied. It sometimes feels like more of an obligation to buy gifts than a pleasure. If we took just 1/20 of what we were going to spend on gifts and decided to buy a goat for a family in Peru or school supplies for children in South Africa in a friend or family member's name, it would not only cause them to think and question but also to maybe re-evaluate Christmas and it's meaning.