"Sleeping In"
oil on canvas
30" x 30"
So what did you get for Christmas?
I'll be honest, I have mixed emotions about this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I love having "Winter Break" at school, I love making an event out of every meal for an entire week, I love taking advantage of guilt-free lazy afternoons, and I love spending time with friends and family during one of the major, designated family and friends times of the year. It's the "season of giving" thing that bugs me.
I'm not talking about presents here. I'm talking about the warm and fuzzy feelings that suddenly appear during the last 30 days of the year. You know, when everybody's crediting the "Christmas spirit" for acts of kindness and charity intended for those people they feel less fortunate than themselves. Why does everyone find an abundance of love all of a sudden? Is it the product of family reunions, festive traditions, and religious beliefs? Or is it convenient to cram all good deeds into the time of year that will leave you feeling best about yourself but not truly invested in anything or anyone else? I'm sure this is coming off all wrong, and I'd never want to deter anyone from their annual December do-gooding, but I don't like the idea of helping, giving and "loving" for the sake of feeling good about oneself.
I know that giving for the right reasons versus giving for the wrong reasons really doesn't matter to those on the receiving end...it all spends the same, right? I guess I just feel like it's dishonest and a little sleezy to overtly play the part of a self-effacing humanitarian once a year in hopes you'll be painted in a more positive light through your lifetime. Or maybe there's less difference between people who give and those who are givers? I'm no moral authority, I'm just trying to be honest.
Please give your gifts, work the soup kitchens, and donate to your favorite causes. But when you think of giving, remember that charity isn't seasonal and it's not about you, it's about all of us.
