I’ve worked on and off in retail, both part and full time, over the last 15 years. During that time, I’ve seen my fair share of holiday seasons come and go. I’ve worked many chaotic Black Fridays as customers flocked to the mall for sales, and I’ve experienced many frantic Christmas Eves helping last-minute shoppers check off wish lists. I’ve seen customers stress out about sold-out gifts, and I’ve seen them jump for joy when they got their hands on the last of a coveted item.
I’d be lying if I said these experiences haven’t made me feel like Christmas has become a little too commercialized. But the truth is, I understand the pressure behind holiday shopping more than I’d like to admit.
Every year, I find myself stressing about whether I’ve saved enough money to buy everyone on my list the perfect gift; whether my family will have an equal number of presents to open on Christmas morning; and whether I’ve done enough to make everyone’s holiday feel as special as possible. Every year, I think about the parents and families who feel that same pressure but with fewer resources, and the thought of anyone feeling like they haven’t done enough because they can’t afford a mountain of presents breaks my heart.
Recently, though, I heard the phrase “rich in life,” and it’s completely changed the way I think — not just about Christmas, but life in general. It made me realize how often I associate gifts with a price tag and overlook all the things in my life that are gifts in themselves and, for the most part, come with no price tag at all.
I’m rich in life every time I open my refrigerator and see it full of food that I’m fortunate enough to provide for my family. I’m rich in life because my home is where our friends and neighbors congregate to watch football on Sundays. I’m rich in life because I get to see my best friends become mothers and see their babies grow. I’m rich in life because, year after year, I get to spend the holidays with the people I love, regardless of gifts.
Of course, knowing this doesn’t mean I’ll suddenly stop buying Christmas presents or worrying about finding the perfect gift. I love giving gifts, and there’s something undeniably special about watching someone’s face light up when they unwrap something you picked out just for them. But there’s a difference between wanting to make Christmas special and feeling like you have to spend a certain amount of money to make it special enough.
So, if you find yourself feeling the financial strain of the holiday season this year or wondering whether you’ve done enough to make Christmas magical for your family, I hope you’ll remember what it means to be rich in life.
You may not have an infinite budget for gifts, and your holiday may not look quite like the picture-perfect celebrations we see in Hallmark movies. But if you have people to love, memories to make, and ordinary moments to enjoy, you might just find that you’re richer than you realized.
