The Great Gift Exchange a.k.a. Christmas

This past holiday season produced a lot of ruffled feathers among recipients. I'm not sure I've heard so many complaints about gift giving before. I read about it on websites, I heard it from friends, I read it in letters. It's a real shame that the commercialism and materialistic aspects of consumerism have come so close to me. I don't want to say that people are ungrateful, but in a way, they are. What is it in them that has made the o' mighty gift exchange such a vital part of their holiday experience? They judge the quality of their holiday based on the value of their bounty. I remember having that mentality when I was a child but over the years, the value gauge changed to moments, faces, smiles, hugs, voices and atmospheres. These things can't be wrapped in ribbons and bows and they're recycled into memories that stay with me for longer than the buzz of a well-spiked eggnog. I'm not slapping the hands of anyone who shared their disappointment with me. Instead, I send vibes of hope that they will indeed get more out of their next holiday season. What if this last holiday was truly to be their last? I doubt that they want to remember it by bitching about the gifts they received or didn't receive.