If only I had just brothers. My brother is on board with not swapping gifts, but my sisters are holdouts.
On 12/11/07, Chesty Puller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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? > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Get the answers you are looking for on the ColdFusion Labs Forum direct from active programmers and developers. http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/webforums/forum/categories.cfm?forumid-72&catid=648 Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:248099 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
