“Christmas has been so much happier since we made the decision to stop the gifts. We go to church services Christmas eve, make a nice breakfast Christmas morning, and there is no more of the stress.”
We probably all have someone in our family like that - never happy and don’t want anyone else to be. I feel sad for them but we can’t do anything about it. It sounds as if you’re keeping everything in focus though.
For me, anymore, just trying to come up with something that no one has is beyond stressful. If they needed something, it would be different. Then the other side of it is I end up feeling very guilty when I know someone can’t afford the gift they’ve given me.
That’s no way to celebrate Christmas and it looks like this will be our year to shake off the shackles of the frenzied shopping trips and coming home empty-handed, and feeling deep-down emptiness to boot. Shopping will be fun when there are babies to buy for, but right now - just UGH!
Our family stopped the gifts about 10 years ago. Christmas has become what it was supposed to be since we did.
These people could care less about Christmas.