At this time of year, more than others, we are all called to find the spirit of the season.
Back in Victorian times, it was common to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve. Hence, the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, I suppose.
Is that where the term "Christmas spirit" originated?
Scrooge was living a life of greed and selfishness. He had become hardened to any kind of charitable deed. He felt that people should learn to help themselves and not count on charity for their daily bread. Good old Ebeneezer felt that he worked hard and sacrificed for his fortune and so should everyone else.
At that time in history, it was a very similar economic situation to what we have now. There was the wealthy, upper-class and the poor. The extremely poor families were relegated to what they called "work-houses" which kept the homeless off the streets. But the streets were most likely safer. There was filth, dysentery and illness running rampant in the work-houses. And these places, along with orphanages, were all kept running through the charity of strangers. There was not an over-abundance of good will in Victorian times.
Nowadays, it seems that people are either extremely wealthy or not. I am in the "NOT" category. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle class anymore. Those friends of mine that are in the so-called "middle" are actually families that are taking in about double what my husband and I earn together. I used to consider them well-to-do. And those people are feeling the crunch and cutting back too. Just like in the time of Scrooge, the less fortunate are forced to call upon the kindness of strangers.
I know that there are people out there who are just smart about money and know how to save and get by with as little as possible. There are tons of people who shop in the discount stores and border on extreme couponers. But, it is really beginning to frighten me how many people; families and couples with two full-time incomes plus a part-time job or two; are they are struggling to find the funds for life's little extras!
Extras like Christmas.
So, without really having much saved for my holiday shopping, I am hard-pressed for the extras of donating to my usual charities. All I've managed so far is to donate some groceries to some scouts outside my super-market when I was shopping for my Thanksgiving dinner and some canned goods to the church food pantry.
Even my Sunday donations to my church have been a little on the paltry side. I'm so afraid to spend the money on anything extra because I want to make sure I have enough...enough for what? How do we even know what "enough" is?
Last week, I was home sick and I wanted to make some chicken soup. I went to the store and bought some chicken, a bunch of celery, a bunch of carrots, canned broth, and grated cheese. That cost me $40! I had soup every day for the next four days but was it worth that money? I could have bought several cans and it still would have cost me less. When did prepared food become more economical than cooking your own? What the heck???
Since giving is, in my mind, all wrapped up with my holiday spirit, I am truly finding it very difficult to find my motivation this season. I know it shouldn't be that important to me, but it is. Giving gives me joy. How will it all turn out if I don't find the spirit? And why does spirit have to have a dollar sign attached to it? Even if I went the so-called home-made route, it still costs money. And the whole lotto thing doesn't seem to be working out for me!
So this season, I am in search of my spirit. Every once in awhile, I get the feeling but then I look at reality and wonder if it was just agita.
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