redrose66 / June 26, 2015 / Crazy Thoughts
I still haven’t caught up from my dwindling decline in finances during Christmastime, believe it or not! Not to mention my family has grown so large that I can’t even keep up with their birthdays anymore, unless it’s due to my age- but I’ll never tell.
Anyways, it started off as just my parents and my five siblings then we started growing up. Both of my parents remarried each with step-children so then we wound up with a total of nine step-siblings. Okay now they each had children then the majority of them is grown up and has families of their own.
Let’s not forget the extended relatives such as Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. That’s right, they all had children and their children grew up and some of them have children of their own. It’s a vicious cycle I tell you. But how in the world do they all expect us to keep up with all these birthdays? Honestly? Let me just tell you, it’s not gonna happen!
Holidays are almost always insanely crazy because there’s normally a family feud somewhere along the way due to the fact that someone winds up upset at someone else for having said something that hurt their feelings (even though unintentional-we choose to believe.) Then it never fails when someone feels they were deliberately left out of the scene not having received a personal invitation. Well how can’t someone be left out when your family is as gargantuan as ours, honestly? There’s bound to be some forgotten somebody somewhere, after all we are all mere imperfect humans. Think about it for a minute.(tick-tock), I rest my case.
If during holidays somebody isn’t feeling left out, or talked about, or got their feelings hurt there’s always the potential incident that someone may feel their child didn’t get a fair shake due to them believing the gift that their child received wasn’t as worthy as the present the other child’ was given. Wow, incredible, huh? Well, let me say this, if I’m giving a gift to someone I’m not looking at a price tag, I’m looking at what I believe that individual wants or would be able to use. My main concern is not what the item costs. Not everything that this person or that individual wants or needs is going to cost the same as another, but not understanding that concept, seriously? I think that’s being a pinch ungrateful on their part, because I’m not obligated to offer gifts to anyone but hey that’s just me. I myself am always grateful for anything I receive regardless. I look at it like this, that individual took the time, money, and effort to think about me and I am gratefully appreciative.
There’s always the famous words “It’s not what you get or receive it’s the appreciation for what’s in your heart”. I wish that was the mind set people had but contraire the mass majority don’t . Some people even get upset because they made the choice to give someone a gift with (NSA) no strings attached yet received nothing in return. One should give from the heart and without expectations in return. As the bible brings out: 2 Corinthians 9:17 encourages, “Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 8:12 brings out, “If the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.”
So if you look at things from that prospect it kind of brings things to light with a different perspective. I wish that everyone could be more appreciative of gifts they received because not everyone has the ability to give in a financial aspect of a holiday rather they offer what they’re able. Some may be able to give full heartedly in spirit or in assistance and to me that should be enough and should not be judged harshly or otherwise by anyone, because we all are but imperfect humans. I would appreciate more gifts made by someone’s own hand, time, sweat, and effort and feel it is worth more than any store bought gift because it was given out of love and talent.
The celebrations can be just as joyful as the holidays and birthdays as long as one is financially stable enough to keep up and is gracious enough with what help, gift, or company they receive then all would be mighty fine. But celebrations sometimes come with a sacrifice and obligations. Not always do you get to attend a celebration with just your sincere kind heart and your wonderful personality which leaves you open for these situations to arise not so much in your favor.
Naturally prior to party or get together is set-up time for preparations necessary for a successful event. This takes a lot of time in planning and organizing and can be difficult to remember everything necessary to make the celebration end with an effective outcome. This is often where one is asked a favor to make a last minute dish, decorations, come to decorate, or assist in cleaning up because the party/event planner or host has too much to do and you are the only one they can count on that has no previous engagements (no life) and should be available to assist. Normally this is alright because in my case I enjoy helping when I’m capable but at times it can be upsetting when you stop and think question yourself, had I not been there to help, would I have even been invited to attend in the first place to come at all? It’s something I ponder on and tends to hold true, especially lately. But am I going to cry about it? Nope, I will move on. I’m tough like that! Hehehehe.
As a norm when information becomes available ahead of time that an upcoming event is nearing I will offer my services that way I assure my position of invite. But lately I’ve been kept out of the loop, probably deliberately, so I steer clear and let them do their own thing and I mine. Since I haven’t received any invites whatsoever I will therefore continue to stay focused on my immediate family; my husband, children, grandchildren, (my parents-when I am granted access), and of course my blog-my serenity and peace of mind.
Now that we got past the aspect of the birthdays, events, and celebrations we’ll discuss the holidays. We have the commercialism sector of the whole ordeal to consider. Commercialism has been like an infestation of termites in an old shabby wooden home. It’s a constant, one holiday after another. The stores all of them put out holiday items way before the holiday is near and often before the previous holiday has past. The stores all publish ads, sales, music, and enticements to everyone from department stores, grocery stores, shopping centers, to online pressure such as social media, etcetera and thus encouraging people to spend money that they may not even have making them feel obligated which often leads them into heavy over expenditures. The intimidation of purchasing is an endless cycle stressing the consumers and influencing them to buy buy buy it’s absolutely outrageous!
The government has a strong impact since they also coax people to splurge by offering the banks a break or loaning them monies allotting payback time in order for them to draw in customers which in return gets the banks to entice their clientele to acquire credit cards and charge purchases or investments that they may never be able to afford to pay back, putting them in a financial crunch often resulting in the consumer’s being targeted, labeled, and punished until the money is finally paid back to the bank or legal action is taken.
This often causes the consumer to go into a financial decline or black-hole and if that’s not bad enough the bank then increases the interest rates making it nearly impossible to pay the entire principle back leaving the consumer with a low credit score plus possibly winding up in the credit bureau. In some cases the consumer has to file bankruptcy, depending on the amount of the debt. Well nobody wants to be in an insolvent or be in a position where they’ feel they’re never going to be able see the light at the end of the tunnel. Money is difficult to come by and more laborious to make and regardless, it surely doesn’t stretch far potentially leaving you penniless and depressed if you’re not careful.
So yeah, I have some issues with these Birthday’s, Holiday’s, & Celebrations (or Events). Especially when the tables are turned and you invite all of your friends and family to all of your immediate family functions and events to help you make some money and nobody makes an effort to make an appearance because they either manage to have made other plans at that exact date, (even though you notified them weeks in advance) yet you always manage to make an appearance when they have something planned, that you are invited to even if you have an obligation or a duty, or they had a legit pre-planned engagement. I missed one event that I was invited to last year because I was out of town with my daughter during her difficult time of her first child birth. It does seem though when I have a special occasion, event, or setting, that there’s always a near empty RSVP although I refuse to cry about it, even if my house is too small and claustrophobic, so I’ve been told. Nevertheless I just have to learn to let things slide off my sleeve like rain over oil (wink wink).
FYI even if I was to acquire an invitation from my family I would still make an attempt to attend the event, celebration, and/or birthday if at all possible or at least make an appearance because I love and care for them and accept them for who they are, so when I do attend I will do so with my open heart, without judgment, frequently offering my assistance because I am me and nobody will change me.
Do birthday’s holidays and celebrations become overwhelming? I’d have to say yes, yes they can be, more than I’d like to admit I’m afraid.
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