There's still hope in season of hope

Christmas is a week away, so naturally a lot of folks are panicking as they scramble to buy, buy, buy and generally are stressing out in the season of peace and love.

I like Christmas, but sometimes I find myself feeling down because of all it’s become now. No doubt 50 years ago a columnist or two bemoaned the commercialization of Christmas and how far people were moving away from its meaning, and there likely would have been someone with similar sentiments 50 years before that. So, the idea isn’t anything new.

I’m sure those who complained of Christmas commercialization 50 years ago would be appalled and aghast at what it’s become today.

Through the years, my own enthusiasm for Christmas has waned somewhat largely because of what it’s become. At the heart of the season it’s still a celebration of love and family, of sharing with one another and caring for one another. There’s still a sense of needing to help the less fortunate so they, too, can have a merry Christmas. People still understand that aspect of the season.

But, while such sentiment remains, it’s often obscured by the overwhelming sense of obligation that’s been foisted upon us to spend, spend, spend to show others how much we care and how generous we can be. A simple toy under the tree with apples, oranges and nuts in a stocking and just expressing our love is too quaint and outdated.

Now, we’re supposed to show how much we love someone by giving them $500 electronic games, computerized devices that cost a month’s salary, a new car and all sorts of gifts that so many people can’t afford but will go into debt to give. As Homer Simpson said, it doesn’t seem like Christmas unless you open a great big credit card bill in January.

Each year, the Christmas season becomes more and more about economics, business and profits. Instead of a holy day celebration, it’s increasingly about the bottom line, about boosting the economy, about making more and more money. Ebenezer Scrooge would be right at home today since Christmas has become a vital cornerstone of the American economy.

My Dad liked Christmas, and admittedly tended to go a little overboard buying something for everyone in the family and friends. He wanted to make sure everybody got something. I think it was because of how little he had when he was a boy growing up in a poor family. Dad was one of the most generous people I’ve known, even when he had little he’d find a way to make sure someone he cared for got something for Christmas. I don’t think he ever felt the least bit jaded or overwhelmed by the greed that’s overtaken Christmas. I just wish I could be like that. I wish more of us could be like that.

However, as I peruse social media (now there’s something they’d never have imagined 50 years ago), I sense there’s still hope for Christmas to be more than a spend-a-thon. I’ve seen where Facebook friends have been busy with their own family Christmas traditions, apparently in disregard of the corporate Christmas demands. Some follow religious Christmas traditions, others celebrate cultural and secular traditions. Some promote “the reason for the season,” others don’t, but promote the idea of loving and caring for one another and treating each other with respect. They may follow different roads, but it’s still the same message: Love one another. That is the true message of the season.

I get the sense that doing for one another is more important than buying for one another, which isn’t to say they’re not shopping or giving gifts; they’re just not giving into the economic peer pressure. They’re more interested in shopping at small and local businesses, buying more personal and practical gifts to express sentiment, like Christmas used to be. Sometimes those are the more valuable gifts. The most valuable gifts are those we give of ourselves.

As I reflect on the difference between that undercurrent and the overt overcommercialization of Christmas, I realize that maybe I shouldn’t feel down about the season. I see that in this season of hope, there’s still a flicker of hope for Christmas to be what it’s meant to be.