by: 
Christmas to many of us means our regular pace is about to pick up incredible speed and we will accomplish in three and a half short weeks dozens of loving tasks. In addition to the day to day, we'll shop for just the right gift for family and friends, take extra care to wrap each well-chosen item festively and beautifully, bake goodies galore, attend at least one party (probably many more), host at least one party, decorate the tree, string lights and display holiday themed items in every room, and . . . we could keep going, couldn’t we? It really is a great time of year when everyone's focus is on extending good will to loved ones. What's not to love about that?
Amidst all the joy and good will and all the warm fuzzies we get this time of year, does it ever get to be just a little too much for you? It does sometimes for me . . . my pace can get so frantic and busy that I need to stop and remember what it’s all about. And, we're all thinking more about money, choosing very carefully how we spend our hard earned dollars. Your budget may already be tied up in your wedding, and you’re wondering how you can make Christmas special without compromising your financial future.
If you will, consider an unlikely source of Christmas wisdom, the Grinch:
And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons,
It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled ‘til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” --Dr. Seuss
Hmmmm, a little bit more? . . . you mean like simple home cooked meals with loved ones gathered ‘round?
. . . a single strand of lights lining the banister along the front steps
. . . welcome hugs from loved ones
. . . doors held open for perfect strangers and other random acts of kindness.
. . . road rage taking a vacation
. . . and everyone warm?
What if . . . ? Can you imagine Christmas meaning "a little bit more"? Let's start a list of ways that we can love our family and friends, simplifying Christmas without spending a ton of money. Please add your thoughts in the comment section.
Photo courtesy Creative Commons
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