When Less is More
’Tis the season to reconsider materialism
The annual gift-giving frenzy begins every year around this time and most of us get caught up in it.
In recent years, my wife and I have tried to lessen our focus on material things by instead asking for and giving experiences — dinners, shows, travel, and the like. That works for us and our daughter and son-in-law just fine, yet our two-year-old granddaughter is another story. Like any other toddler, she will get her share of goodies — but we’ve agreed to split the cost of one substantial gift with her other set of grandparents.
I’m far from a “bah humbug” type of person, but I do feel a certain discomfort with the rampant consumerism that seems to surround the holidays. Given the choice, I’d rather exhibit generosity through making charitable contributions, particularly to local social service organizations and food banks. I believe it’s a good practice to think of others less fortunate during this time of year.
For me, pondering materialism during the holidays extends to the rest of the year. For example, simply walking the aisles of a supermarket, I am admittedly overwhelmed by the number of product options to which Americans have grown accustomed. Does an endless variety of cereals make our lives that much better? Do we really need so many choices of toothpaste?
