The dreaded question asked by family, loved ones and close friends has come again “What do you want for Christmas?”. How is one supposed to answer this question when you are combing through your closet trying to find more stuff to give away. When you look in drawers and cupboards and feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter and objects idling away as another year passes without finding any use for 90% of the items.
This year I am doing my ultimate best to convince the people I care about the most that I truly do not want anything, besides money. Before anyone says I am a Grinch or a Scrooge, I actually have a use for the money I am asking for, I want to visit my brother and his family who live in South Korea. I haven’t seen them in person since November 2012. I also am quite content to receive nothing as anyone who knows me well knows I am trying to reduce the material clutter in my life.
Above is a photo of me and my niece, Hannah, at a traditional South Korean Restaurant.
Clearly, I cannot ask one person for a plane ticket to South Korea with return, so I am saving my money and taking any additional monetary gifts I receive and putting them in a savings account I created for this specific purpose.
The things I do want are too big and too expensive to ask for such as a car or a house with a large back yard for entertaining guests and gardening. Again, both of these are longer term goals I need to work towards before I can obtain them. Receiving a new set of pajamas or another sweater to add to my hefty collection is not going to help me fly for over 20 hours.
I am trying to downsize so that I can live more and not be so tied down to all of the possessions I simply don’t need nor use.
I have no issues with buying gifts for others and I don’t expect everyone to hop on the minimalism train with me. My goals in life are evolving and I don’t care as much about what others think of my fashion sense as I used to; it just isn’t my jam anymore.
For me Christmas is the silent sound before the snow falls, the intoxicatingly smell of turkey roasting in the oven, a variety of cheese & crackers paired with fine wine, watching “Miracle on 34th Street” with my Dad, baking cookies and eating them afterwards. I love going to Midnight Mass and singing Christmas songs celebrating the birth of Christ. It is spending down time with my family, and enjoying those rare moments of no expectations, but relaxation, laughter and good food.
Like I said, I don’t mind buying for others, but for myself anything I want is too big for one person to buy, so why load up on small things I have no need for.
If you absolutely need to buy me something then donate money to a no kill animal shelter or UNICEF. This would warm my heart beyond.
Also, I think it is sad that so many people do go into debt at Christmas time so they can have what they deem to be a “good Christmas”. Why should anyone lose sleep over how much money they have to spend on their kids, or a spouse? It is ridiculous and stuff doesn’t make you happy! It is all disposable, what isn’t replaceable is family and loved ones. So, before you go over the top with your spending and buying some gift a friend has told you not to buy, think about it…
What is the motivation behind your spending? Don’t get me wrong, gifts are great, but how great is a gift if it is just a gift for the sake of giving something instead of nothing. How mindful are we when shopping for Christmas gifts?
Peace & Love – Rachel
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