I'm 8 days away from turning 21 years old. I've been trying to figure out what I'd like to do for my birthday, but I've had very little success. I have no interest in drinking. I'd like to get together with friends and have a time enjoyable to all, but I'm not very good at planning such shindigs. Plus, I don't want to be a host. While I do enjoy being a host at times, I think I'll just want to relax on my birthday.
Did you ever wonder why people give you presents on your birthday? Yes, you are a year older, so I understand the celebration of the day, but why are you getting presents? It's normally not a huge feat to have lived for another 365 days, so what's the big deal?
I ask because I've become very aware of the commercialism of the holidays in the United States. Christmas has lost much of its meaning (what does an evergreen have to do with Christ's birth?), as have Easter (what's a bunny have to do with Christ's resurrection?), and Memorial Day (bar-b-que day). Instead of something bought in the store, the greatest gift I could receive (and have!) is my friends' love.
I am really big on friends, but it sometimes seems to be that I haven't done a very good job connecting with many of them. Someone asked me the other day who are my closest friends. I had a hard time coming up with a list of 5 people. I wonder how many of these people I am really myself with. I wonder if they really know where my heart is and what issues are on my mind. In fact, I can only really think of one person that knows these things about it, and unfortunately that friendship is somewhat estranged. I wish to open my heart to more people, but I find myself scared of doing so. I don't want to be judged or derided for what I believe or how I live, I've had enough of that in my life.
I say a lot of this to express to my friends that I highly value our relationships. I also want to try to be grateful for the gifts I've been blessed with, though I usually take them for granted. Furthermore, I wish to give everyone a new perspective on the purposes of holidays and gifts. They often say with gifts that it's the thought that counts.
And so I ask, why bother with the gift--focus on the thought.
