It's that time of the year again, when we're decorating with stringed lights, making cookies, and hosting out-of-town relatives. For some, it's the most wonderful time of the year, placing the star on the Christmas tree, reveling in a Nutcracker ballet performance or making latkes. But for others – people grieving over loved ones, or just overwhelmed with it all, this can be a tough season.
When I talk to friends about what's the most stressful, it's often the gifts. Who should get what. How much should we spend. Choosing, wrapping, sending and, often, then, returning. Feeling guilty about buying too many things, the late presents, the ones that break in the mail (I'm thinking about a tower of packages I needed to send, by, well, yesterday). Every year I intend to be better, to make more gifts, to buy more local, to be a more environmental giver. But that free overnight shipping gets me. This year, I did intentionally buy more presents on etsy.com, trying to support independent artists' work. And, like psychologist Elizabeth Dunn, author of "Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending," suggests on our show this week, Giving is Complicated, I try to give experiences, too. This year, nights out to see musical theater for my family.
How about you? Let me know what you're giving this year, if you have a new take on the gift season, or what's on your wish list at listen@ttbook.org.
–Shannon