The weather hasn’t really screamed autumn yet, nor have the trees changed much, so it’s a little hard to start thinking about Christmas. But there it is on the calendar, looming up, just waiting on Thanksgiving next week to get out of the way.
One of the more compelling elements of this time of the year is the juxtaposition between the ‘perfect’ Christmas, as shown on television or the movies, and the one that mere mortals can produce. Mental health professionals have said it is the time of year when people bring the most stress upon themselves in their efforts to create the perfect holiday season. Food, family, friends, parties, entertainment, the Christmas spirit, presents under the tree, etc. Mix it all up, and it can be a recipe for some level of frustration as some or all of the pieces fall somewhere short of the mythical goal we set for ourselves.
Their best advice is to take it all down a notch or two and just enjoy the simpler things in life.
That bit of good direction, located in Thursday’s Commercial, cautioned people to take advantage of Black Friday but not to go overboard. The recommendations came with the reminder that Christmas isn’t so much about the presents floating around but about the quality time spent with loved ones.
Laura Hendrix, a financial counselor, asked the almost painful question of whether anyone remembers exactly what they got for Christmas even last year, much less a decade ago. OK, well, there was that bicycle that Santa delivered, but we get her point.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
As she said, “… (T)he truth is that gifts aren’t really the most important part of holiday memories. … Chances are your happiest holiday memories have nothing to do with the gifts you’ve received.”
Getting a grip on holiday spending also has its rewards, that being that the January mail won’t bring a painful amount of credit card debt. To do that, Hendrix suggests limiting the number of presents purchased, the individuals one buys presents for (really, not everyone needs to get one) and the overall spending amount.
If that all sounds like it will leave a big hole in what was planned, plan some other activities, she said, such as decorating the tree together and listening to music, popping popcorn, watching a movie together, driving around town to look at holiday lights, baking something together or going to see a Christmas premiere together. (We know of one family that used to do that in their pajamas late on Christmas eve.)
Yes, she says, take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and shop local on the following Saturday, but make sure the “deal” you’re considering is actually a deal — and that it’s a must have.
“Check in with yourself,” Hendrix said. “Is this something you really want or need? If not, it’s a waste of money no matter the price.”
We appreciate that she did not recommend scaling back on Thanksgiving and that apparently it’s still OK to overindulge wherever possible there. Beyond that, however, her advice is good to keep in mind. Many of the fondest memories are when lots of family members come together and share a moment in time that forevermore is special. Sprinkle a few presents around, but make them meaningful, and by all means don’t break the bank on them. The real memories, as she points out, don’t necessarily have price tags.