Holiday Narcissism
By: Allison Redmond
Christmas is the season of giving, right? Wrong. It
definitely should be, but often it is not. People become so consumed with
gifts, decorations, and parties that they miss what Christmas is all about. I
have seen this holiday bring out the absolute worst in people. It is so
irritating to see how selfish people become during the holiday season. It amazes
me that of all holidays on which to be selfish, people pick the one that was
created to celebrate God sending his only son as a sacrifice. Isn’t that pretty
much the most selfless thing someone could do?
I am not excluding myself in this. In fact, when my sister
suggested a few weeks ago that my family not give gifts this year, but instead
use that money to support a child in need, I found myself thinking, “When she
was my age she still received gifts. Now that she is almost to the point of
outgrowing Christmas presents, she just wants to get rid of them altogether.
How selfish.” It did not take me long to realize how self-centered that
sounded. Who am I to complain about not getting all the gifts I want, when I
have everything I need? There are plenty of people all over the world that
would love to have my life. I have food, water, clothing, a house over my head,
and parents who love and provide for me. That is all I could ever ask for.
I am not saying that this Christmas everyone needs to stop
exchanging gifts. That is a completely impractical request. All I am asking is
that we all take a moment this holiday season to be thankful for what we have,
and maybe even give to someone in need.
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