Cutting Back Can Bring Things Together


Plenty of chat about the economy this holiday season and it starts on a somber note. People recognize they can not spend as much as in past years and initially it seems like a bad thing. Then they remark on how reducing the Christmas list had to be done and kinda makes sense anyway.

Sometimes this leads on to seeing the value in the gifts, the feast and the tree more because it was more dear to obtain. Others see that the holidays really are not just a consumer driven carnival after all (thank you Charlie Brown, Linus and all). Ultimately they see the season in a new way. New is good, different is useful and we didn't really need another talking snow globe any way.

Challenging the status quo and moving beyond the business as usual thinking can result in holiday surprises. Special foods taste better, shiny bows look brighter, snowflakes shimmer and our families sit a lot closer together when the heat is turned down. That is a cozy answer to a Christmas with more spending limits but no limits on family, love and time to share our hearts.