UNITED STATES—I don’t know why I allow it to transpire to me every single year, but it happens: I stress over gift buying. What is it about Christmas that causes so many of us as Americans to pull out or stress out over purchasing the perfect Christmas gift or gifts for kids, siblings, relatives or parents. I constantly try my best to find that perfect gift and it gets to the point where I stress myself out to the point where it is just unhealthy.
Making matters worse I tend to overbuy every single year. I just can’t fathom getting a person just one gift. I don’t understand it and trust me I have actively tried to make the adjustment, but here we are in 2020 dealing with the same thing I have dealt with every year. Perhaps, it’s the fact that I don’t set a budget. I mean if I put a number on what I’m going to spend and actually STICK to it, it would make the entire shopping process so much easier and a lot less stressful America.
I pick up one thing here and then the next thing you know, I feel like that gift is not enough so I look for something else. As a result, I don’t like that gift so I’ve purchased 2-3 items and I’m not pleased with any of them. Is that good? Nope. Cause money has been spent and now I have to head back to a store and return an item and the process starts over again. Not fun America not fun at all.
People tell me all the time, just get a gift card and call it a day. I honestly hate purchasing gift cards because I feel like purchasing a gift card is like saying I didn’t want to try for anything, but I sense why so many people do it. I totally GET IT! It helps prevent that stress that you don’t want to have to deal with. If someone tells you a place they like to shop, you truly cannot go wrong because you know that gift card is going to be spent. So that is a plus America.
On top of that you don’t have to stress about attempting to outdo yourself from the previous year. Yes, that is something I battle with as well. I don’t like to get someone the same thing I got them the year before I like for them to get something different something unexpected and it matters to me. That may be the giver in me that just fights valiantly to put the biggest smile on my face to see someone happy with the gift they have received. I do have an age limit because I have a ton of nieces and nephews, so once you graduate high school, the gift giving stops in my opinion.
If I were to continue I would be broke people, so at some point you have to cut the number of people on your list, and with this pandemic it makes it even more difficult America. Do as you can, but don’t feel compelled to overdo what you cannot do. I love Christmas, the gift buying, the wrapping of the presents, the baking, the family dinners, the gift giving, the music, it is just one of my favorite holidays of all-time people. I hate the stress that sometimes comes with it, which has forced me to finally acknowledge my issues: take a moment and just breathe, it is NOT the end of the world.
A gift is just a gift; it is the thought that counts the most. Now if I could only apply that more too everyday life America it would be so much easier.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
