My husband asked me this weekend if I wanted anything in particular for Christmas this year and I told him I will have to “think about it”. I know I am a difficult person to shop for when it is time for any holiday because I seldom really want anything. My passion for elephants makes an addition to my collection an easy choice. And he knows I love the “Tusks” series carried by Hallmark. But beyond that, I am always hard-pressed to give my family and friends ideas for gifts. It is not that I’m selfless or that I have everything there is to have. It’s just that for the most part I have everything I need, and if I need something else I have the means to get it. That is an amazing realization for someone who used to keep her feet pressed to the floor so that her friends would not see the holes in the bottom of her shoes.
I have had discussions with other people who grew up in poverty and some have expressed that they feel “needy” all the time and want more and more. Others just give evidence of their insatiability through the way they live. My grandmother had a need to always have a very full pantry because of her experiences during the depression. She talked often of the deprivation of those times and how keeping five pounds of coffee and ten pounds of sugar on hand made her feel safe.
My own experiences led me down a different path. Once I got to the point of having a stable income I felt I was truly blessed to just have all my needs met! When I worked at Macy’s I seldom purchased anything. It was a daily joy to see and handle all the pretty things and to help customers who “needed” them. One of the few things that found its way home with me was a little enamel pot with pretty violets painted on it. I bought it on clearance for $15 (original $50). I loved that little pot and used it for many years. But I truly never spent my working hours thinking “I wish I had that.”
So…no long lists here for the holidays. I am comfortable in my current life and seldom feel the need for much to enhance it. That is a gift in itself.
I grew up poor and we learned early on not to ask for much for Christmas. My twenties and thirties were pretty tight, too, so when I finally reached the point where I didn't have to scrape just to pay the bills, I was ecstatic! But it is difficult to shop for those of us who don't crave "things" so I usually try to think up a few suggestions, like a cologne or a newly-published book so that my kids can easily cross me off their lists, 'cause my parents were hard to buy for, too, and I never felt that I ever hit on anything they liked. I'm actually happy without gifts, but you can't tell your kids that...
Posted by: Classof65 | October 02, 2012 at 05:30 PM