Give till it…feels good.
To all you Neo-Roundheads on the blog who have been decrying Christmas consumerism, take this: According to this story in the infallible New York Times, “psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.” In other words, the flip side of all this getting is giving, which makes us feel good. And it’s all about us, right? So while I’m at it, I must admit to feeling pretty good about myself for taking advantage of Commonweal’s boffo two-for-one gift subscription deal. Buy one gift subscription, get another FREE! Send them to a couple of rectories. Priests don’t need more lay people yammering at them. They need a nice bottle of wine and a Commonweal to curl up with–alone. (The wine deal is in the works, I’m told.) What’s more, you get to support a great magazine (and blog) that is facing challenges (thanks to the US Postal Service) and yet is never more needed in today’s church. If only as an antidote to knee-jerks like me. Thirty-nine bucks, and all the self-esteem and Christmas joy you could want. No malls. No debt. Not bad.
Of course, that is why we exchange presents so both parties can feel good about giving. In the land of plenty to get without giving is to resign oneself to second class citizenship unless one is a child receiving from a parent or other adult relative. (Santa Claus is virtually a family member as long as the child believes.)
And why sneer at neo-roundheads? The Puritans were very wise to see the pagan orgy underlying the Christian festival.
St. Nicholas was said to have done charitable deeds secretly. Not a bad idea. Would there be some way of sending anonymous gift subscriptions to rectory dwellers who might enjoy and profit from them?
Of course! No one ever has to know.
You are a better gift-giver than I am, Susan. Blessed Advent to you!
I had commented that I couldn’t buy gifts because i can’t find the money to pay for my “doughnut hole coverage gap” for medicare Part D next year… and got the standard answers–all of which I don’t qualify for and are the standard answers. Folks, there are VERY many people falling through the cracks in the system! This year my family deigned to come through for me–but not without quite an ordeal of mockery, bad feeling, and a threat never to do it for me again (which ended up being rescinded)… these are REAL issues for MANY people and are involving SURVIVAL! To think that there are some quibbling about consumerism and falling int he traps of it–when these larger issues are in the faces of so many people is a travesty! i realize we are “all in this together” and all of us are feeling the effects of the bad economy–but if we can afford to buy Christmas gifts this year–we are very, very blessed!