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I'm dreaming of a different kind of Christmas.


heirloom ballerina ornament - my very favorite

Christmas is just a few days away! 

It's always a stressful time of year, 
but this year has been a real struggle for me. 

Jonathan and me are both in the middle of changing jobs, which comes with it's own set of challenges trying not to get behind financially. We are doing okay, but there was no extra money to spend on gifts, and while our families are loving and supportive and insist that it's fine- it is very hard not to feel guilty when listening to the lists of everything they have bought. Society has made the holiday so materialized; tainted it with piles of stuff and wishlists and somehow the love of family and friends and being grateful for what we already have gets lost in the chaos. I see it most in kids, spoiled to the point of being upset because they were given the wrong version of a toy, the wrong barbie, the wrong game system, and throw a tantrum despite the Mount Everest size pile of expensive junk surrounding them. I want my future kids to be grateful for anything they are given, and I imagine that's very difficult to do with the surplus of neediness in our culture that will surround them from the day they are born. 

I am excited for the holidays.

I just wish we could do things a little differently. 

Until next time,

Angela Kelly
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