I am a shameless lover of the season. While I could quite cheerfully do without the snow and cold -- frankly, there's not that much snow here, yet. Give it time -- I adore the lights, the music, the baking, the shopping and the wrapping. Most of all, I love watching my kids tear into their stockings and presents, and seeing their delight and pleasure. Who wouldn't?
I seem to recall having read some navel-gazing piece at one time or another that posited that giving gifts is about control. In the particular piece I'm thinking about, giving extravagant gifts is a way for the gift-giver to exert control -- in the form of engendering a sense of gratitude -- over the recipient. Perhaps that's true. It certainly made sense when I read it.
In my view, though, giving gifts is a way of bringing pleasure to both sides of the equation. I get pleasure out of finding the perfect something(s) for my children. (That can be pretty tricky, considering their ages span 11 and 17, two boys and two girls, with a wide variety of interests.) While I want them to be happy with what I give them, I hope they subconsciously tune in to the underlying message: "I love you. I know you. I care."
Because that's what it's really about. Knowing someone well enough to know what they will like, what they will love, and what they will pretend to like to spare your feelings.
I'm shooting for the middle option.
Best wishes of the season, and for the new year!
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