Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Christmas Gift

I no longer identify as Christian, and I have no husband or kids. I've always tended toward introversion, and this past year, with its many tribulations, I've isolated myseflf more than usual. Thus, I didn't look forward to the Christmas holidays. Rather, I wanted to forget them altogether. But the great materialist machine of Xmas in the USA made that impossible. Christmas music in stores began 2 weeks before Halloween. Despite the harsh economy and growing allegiance with nonrelgion in the region where I live, people around me still decoratde their homes with lights. Although my brother and sister-in-law aren't religious either they play into the story of Santa and decorate the interior of their home on December 1 with Christmas ornamentation. A countdown calendar. A tall Christmas tree laden with shiny baubles and attopped with a huge gold star. Holly on the mantelpiece. Stockings hung over the fireplace. Their kids as many are were greedy for presents and believed Santa would bring them many. They were, as always, right. "Santa" brought them tons of stuff.

I love my niece and nephew,and I found myself sucked into the consumerist frenzy onChristmas Eve day, riding the same wave of adrenalin with millions, as I darted about toy stores looking for presents they would enjoy (but are also in some way educational or at least require some thought to use.) I wound up purchasing my 10 year old nephew a small magic kit and a classic how-to baseball book, The Guide to Hitting (1978). For my niece, I bought a mancala game that came with day-glo game pieces in the shapes of Safari animals and a simple canister of Pick Up Stix. The kids politely thumbed about with my gifts for 3o seconds before becoming reabsorbed with their brandnew Wii. No way my hunble gifts could have possibly competed with that. But, I never expected them too.

I'm not sure why I alwasy succumb to buing presents at Christmas. I know my niece and nephew would continue to love me even if I didn't bring them gifts. I gues the addiction for Xmas purchases that was laid down in my childhood is still hard to shake after 30 years.

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