Holidays and Gifting

As usual the busy-ness of the holidays have overcome my good intentions to write.  I think this year I attempted to buy a few gifts of meaning for all those I had on my list.  I think the days when the mountain of gifts under the tree are over.

Our women's writing group project is about gifts.  It gave me the opportunity to think back about gifts that I received as well as those I have given.  Of course the one's which I received I certainly remember more, but the stories I recall are all unhappy ones.  It made me begin to wonder if my mother wasn't correct when she told me I always see "the fly in the ointment".

I wonder if this tendency is nature or nurture.  I don't remember ever making the decision to see the glass as half empty, but at least in this reguard it is so.  I remember the negative over the positive.  I will have to stretch myself to try to understand this as it effects my world view. 

As far as this Christmas, I received the gift from my children which I had asked for.  My grandchildren got from me the things which they had asked for and they enjoyed them.  Their mother received the handmade gifts which I had kidnapped the grandkids to make for her.  It was pleasing to see her tears of joy over their artwork.  My girls recieved the yearly gifts of socks and their stocking stuffers.  It is fun to watch them open their stockings with mini bottles of liquor, scratch tickets, and chocolate. 

I didn't spend a lot on Christmas this year, but the pleasure they all seemed to get from simple well considered gifts was priceless.  Now if I could only remember those simple joys.  I wonder if they were ever present and if they were, where they have gone.