More Thankful

For dreamers, for sentimentals, for lovers, Christmas has all the right ingredients. Colorful lights paint the beautiful winter sky. Hours are spent searching for the perfect gift - for the friend, the lover, the brother. The seasonal music fills our souls with optimism, beauty, and holiday cheer. Cookies, egg nog, and wine top it all off to make Christmas a very romantic time of year.

This year, Christmas took on a whole new meaning for me. I must admit that the first question I ask after Christmas is "Did you get everything you wanted this year?" To me Christmas has always been synonymous with receiving gifts. But this year was different, this year was special.

This year (whether consciously, or not) I decided to spend less money on gifts and engage more in conversation - and not because of frugality, but because I wanted to be reminded what Christmas is really about. I was surprised how refreshing it felt to focus less on the new stuff, and more on simply being with family and friends.

With the economy in shambles, job opportunities at a minimum, and prices slowly increasing - I wonder if the "economy" issue our country is facing could actually be good for us. Yes, you read that right. I believe there are some positive effects from our country being in a recession right now.

People are re-considering driving 2 cars when they can car pool. People are carrying reusable water bottles (http://mysigg.com/index.asp) rather than wasting plastics. People are more grateful for the things they've been given because they know how tough times are.

I challenge you to try what we did this year: spend less, but give more.


KL.