As adults, we should not be into "gift-swapping" simply because corporate marketing has sold the world on this idea. Last year, I told my five married brothers that I would no longer be buying gifts for them or their wives, and I expected nothing in return. I told them that I would buy a small gift for their child, that's it. Any gifts I get from them would remain unopened. Of course, one of them said "well, if you just get a small gift that costs $10..." Well, I don't want a gift that costs $10, and I don't want to give any either. I have too much junk as it is. My opinion is that if they get mad, let them stay mad until they get happy.
- Matt Small From: "Gruss Gott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 9:14 AM Subject: Christmas Charity > Just wondering about this year's family controversy which is also an > etiquette problem. > > Each year my wife and I sponsor families via a local organization > that screens the families - we get to know names and ages, but nothing > else, which is fine by us. Basically you buy gifts for the family > members (including parents) based on a list they provide and then also > give them money to buy Christmas dinner ($50 in this case), but you > can provide more if you like. > > This year we decided to go to both sides our family and invite them > to not exchange gifts, and rather to sponsor a family via our program > or anything else they'd like to do (or not do), but not to buy gifts > for us. The concept was not to buy each other stuff since we all are > lucky enough to have plenty, have those with kids just buy for their > own kids, and hopefully get everyone involved in some type of charity > effort. > > Of course we knew it'd be a bit controversial to "opt out", but there > are few hard feelings and I guess I'm wonder what you all think. My > instinct is to say that if people can't see the good in our choice is, > then feck 'em. We may end up just buying gifts for our family again > to spare feelings, but I guess if we do it the real gift will be to > their feelings. > > I know people have specific visions of Christmas, and that gifts and > gift opening are a big part of that for some, but the joy of that has > gone away for my wife and I whereas we actually have a blast buying > gifts for the families we sponsor. > > On the one hand I want to step on the moral soapbox, but on the other > I realize that I'm being selfish too because I enjoy buying for > non-family over family. > > I dunno ... what d'ya think? > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ColdFusion is delivering applications solutions at at top companies around the world in government. Find out how and where now http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/showcase/index.cfm?event=finder&productID=1522&loc=en_us Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:248096 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
