It’s the week before Christmas. Normally, I have the majority of my Christmas shopping done by December 1st. I find that if I work ahead I can just sit back and enjoy the Christmas season while everyone else is out there frantically searching for everything on their Christmas lists this year. But here I am, six days before Christmas, and you guessed it, I’m still not done with our Christmas shopping. As a single parent, it isn’t always easy to make it to the store without your kids. So quite often you pack them along with you, even though it’s bound to take three times as long.
When I was married, we always attacked the Christmas shopping together. That way one of us could hold the baby while the other one filled up the cart. Now, that I am single, I tend to find a few extra things in the cart, that I know I didn’t put there. I’m rather used to this by now, but what I wasn’t used to was the thoughtlessness of the other shoppers out there.
Shopping is hard enough with a three year old. He’s too big to sit in the cart now and instead has to walk along beside me. Normally, this isn’t such a big deal, but people just plow right over him as if he wasn’t even there. Are you really in that big of a hurry that you have to push a three year old out of the way to get your shopping done? Have we forgotten what Christmas is all about? Shopping during this time of year has shown me that we are losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is supposed to be about joy. It is supposed to be about service; about family and friends. Instead it is becoming quite the opposite.
As you are out picking up those last few minute things on your list this year, be courteous to the other shoppers. Be patient and wait your turn. Nothing is so important that you need to be unkind to those around you. Remember the real reason you are out there. Christmas is supposed to be about peace, love, and joy, let’s keep it that way.