The Christmas Stash!

Hey,

I think I've stumbled upon a strange phenomena: AntiStashDiscussionism: The inability to talk about what you got for Christmas.

As usual for this time of year I've been asking people what they got for Christmas. Its a way of getting involved in people's lives, finding out what they like or dislike, rejoicing in their happiness, sharing in their joy. However most people don't want to play along. They deprecate the receiving part of the gift exchange, as though it really is of no importance.

Now don't get me wrong: Gift giving is very important. I do honestly believe that there is a more important reality in gift giving than there is in receiving. I think we ultimately gain more when we give an appropriate, sought after gift that will give great joy to the receiver, than in receiving a gift. How do you feel when you give a gift that you think someone is going to enjoy immensely? How do you feel when the gift is received with great excitement? How do you feel when it's not?

The point is that the giving has immense value when received in joy and with excitement. When I've given people gifts that they didn't want or had no interest in, I've felt crushed. Especially if I'd gone to the trouble to hunt down that particular something for that special someone. You want you gift to bring a smile to their face. You want your effort to be rewarded. Your joy is wrapped up in theirs, and so gift giving is a risky proposition: going about it carelessly will likely cause you more pain than joy. However thoughtful gift giving can be more rewarding than receiving anything.

And this is where AntiStashDiscussionism comes in. Refusing to talk about your gifts robs people of your joy, and ultimately of their own. The joy of Christmas is about giving and receiving. It takes both to make the joy, not just one part of it.

So talk about your gifts. Did you like what you got? Let the person know, and don't hold back if ask. Don't brag, but don't be shy either. Rejoice in your gifts. After all, God wants us to rejoice in His gift to us, doesn't He? Imagine how you would feel if people rejected the gift of all you could give.

TC&GB, pk

(p.s. I got a knife block from my wife! Its great to finally have good, sharp knives to cut and book with. We also bought ourselves an espresso machine. Making good espresso is an art form to be learnt!)