Christmas shopping and the aftermath

What is wrong with people? Why can't we just enjoy the seasons without having to run one another over? The Chard's have a long standing rule about Christmas and the expectations of it. We don't want gifts, and we generally don't give gifts. We started our Christmas season this afternoon by writing a check to the local food pantry and starting a list of friends and family for whom we will be donating money to charity in their names. The holidays should be about family, friends and enjoying each other. Not about material items and trying to find the 'perfect gift for so and so'. I for one am so incredibly unenamored with what Christmas has become and I hope to emulate to my son that Christmas is a time of giving, not receiving. We'll see, I suppose. Life throws curve balls and what we hope to pass to our children may or not come to pass. However, I'm extremely adamant about keeping the holiday season to what it's supposed to be: enjoyment of family, friends, and giving and not about "what Santa is going to bring me". Our first lesson to Gavin this season is that for each toy he receives, he will have to (and hopefully one day want to) give up a toy to the needy. And this lesson will continue into later years. We shall see...