by flower 27 Replies latest jw friends
Lots of people get stressed out over what they take for granted. To me, Christmas is a privilege. I love everything about it: the lights; buying gifts for my friends, relatives; decorating the tree; the feasts... the whole season. Not to mention the break from the heat during the winter season.. heheh.
CG
Some people just like to complain too. One of my friends can't have a conversation without complaining about almost everything in her life. Nothing is ever good enough, and she never seems happy. I think if she couldn't complain her life would fall apart.
So just think about how much some people have to complain to get through their days.
I think part of the problem is that it's so commercial now. It's all about consuming rather than spending time with family. It does tend to be more fun when you celebrate with little kids. But I would say that there's pressure to spend and put on a show and that doesn't make it fun at all.
I think people will complain about anything they can at any given time. I really didn't know how much I love Christmas until spending 16 years in the Organization!!!! You know I love it! I love the family time. I'm sorry I raised my kids as JW's and if I could change one thing in my life it would be that I wasted their life and mine screwed up in that lousy CULT! We are all happy that we can celebrate it now. I don't know when Jesus was born, but the point is that he was and I am going to celebrate that!!!! Thank GOD he was and did die for us. I am going celebrate it on Dec 25 because I don't know the exact date it was and I'm absolutely positive he will not hold it against me!!!!!! I'm going to exchange gifts with all those that I love and have a wonderful dinner.....now that is really EVIL. I will thank God that he has given me this wonderful family and chance to show them how much I love them, because unfortunately we tend to get busy and forget to make the time for them even though we should throughout the year!!!! I'm sorry I had to vent!
You know, it's funny. I worked in retail for years and so saw all the bah-humbugs long before I ever celebrated the holidays.
The thing is that people do get weighed down, especially if they have big families. It can become so expensive that all they can think of is how much they have to spend. Then there are some people who are just so hard to shop for (we have one of those in my small celebrating family, but since I don't have to buy for many people I can really think about his gift. But it's hard.)
Also there is that tv image of Christmas that everyone tries to live up to and with so much famiy disfunction, it just ain't happenin in most cases. then there's the entertaining. If my whole family celebrated I don't know how we'd do it. It's so huge.
If people have health issues year around (like I do) then the holidays can be especially overwhelming. I have found ways around that though, and I am eternally grateful for the people at Amazon.com and ebay LOL.
I laughed about people waiting to see who sent them cards first, I never do that. I have missed doing cards the past couple years cause I was really sick but this year I enjoyed it so much that I just decided to even send them to people I haven't heard from in a long time. just a quick note to say I was thinking of them. I had to go out and buy more cards! LOL I want to finish them up tomorrow.
It is what you make it. I think that a lot of families would be so much happier if they could say "Look, we're so big now lets decide how to work this out so nobody goes broke." If there was more honesty then I think people would like it more.
Also there are those out there who get depressed because they don't have any family to share it with. So you come across all kinds when you're dealing with the public. I bet that no one appreciates christmas more than ex JW's do.
hugs and Merry Christmas all!
essie
seriously i just dont understand the thought process behind what people do at xmas and the holiday season.
Bah-humbug!!
Krusty the Scrooge
Mulan, just today I was thinking that about this girl at work when she was going on and on complaining about something. I dont think she could make it through an hour without complaining about something.
It was funny the other day she had a really stressful day at work and of course she complained all day long about how stressed she was. Then the next day was much calmer and better but instead of enjoying it, when someone asked 'how are you?' she would not say 'i'm great today', instead she would go on and on about how bad the previous day was. Its like no matter how good things are she always sees things negatively and will find the dark cloud no matter where its hiding.
Its a shame so many people lose out on their precious present moment because they worry so much and let themselves get so stressed out about holidays and other things.
I still dont get it. If I had a family it would be different.
It seems to me that some have a martyr complex. It's almost a social status to slave and suffer over buying gifts, wrapping them, etc. I don't believe all people are like this, but I have encountered some who are more than willing to go severely into debt to make the holidays extravagant. I don't quite understand it all myself, but I do know it feels good to hear on the phone that my neices recieved, and enjoyed, my gifts. It's a bit of a mystery still, but it does prove that "giving is better than recieving".
CHRISTmas is about Christ. Everything else we do on that day is superfluous.
I guess there will always be some people who don't appreciate what they've got. Even Dickens wrote about Scrooge in the 1840's, I believe, so there were even grumblers back then.
I have had some friends grumble at times, but I think I have given them a deeper appreciation of Christmas because of my background.
There is an old saying about the man who complained he had no shoes until he met the man who had no feet.
Well, we xJWs are like the man with no feet. I think our experience gives them a much deeper appreciation.
I know my husband and friends enjoy looking at Christmas anew through my perspective.
When people ask me what I got for Christmas, I answer "Same thing as last year... Christmas!" and then I add, "I got some really cool gifts too."
I really love Christmas.
Tammy
