Carla Reid + Chilla
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#ChristmasStory #ChristmasGifts

This is a Christmas horror story, no there won’t be any spirits visiting anyone, it is almost the reverse of that particular tale.

I grew up where Christmas and Easter were nice, my parents made it special, perfect in my eyes.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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I carried on, because you do, when I got married, doing what I could to make holidays fun for my daughter. Beginning in August I made lists and slowly as the budget allowed bought gifts and special foods.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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thread 3/9
Many years ago my man and I lived far away from my daughter, her husband and the four grandchildren. Every birthday and Christmas I would mail out big boxes of gifts. Then came the year we moved back to where my daughter lived, where I had been born. It was close to Christmas.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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I went shopping, I did not think I had overdone it.
We arrived at my daughter’s home on Christmas morning, loaded with many bags of wrapped gifts and food.
We walked in, hung up our coats and proceeded to enter the living room to put the gifts under their tree.

What should greet my eyes?
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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There was barely any floor space left. I arranged our gifts as best I could, most I simply put atop all the other gifts that were already there.
We enjoyed some coffee and it was soon time for the kids to start opening their gifts.

The kids were opening for at least an hour or more.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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Suddenly there was a lull. The kids had toppled over, laying on paper, boxes and gifts. I asked if they would like to continue opening the rest of the gifts. They stared at me with glazed eyes. They made no move to continue.

Right there, at that moment, I knew. This was wrong.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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This was not fun, they were overwhelmed and so was I.

I talked to my daughter and I decided that this was the end, no more would I do this. I could not afford it, it was not necessary, and the kids did not care about this.

So from that day to this, I don’t buy gifts.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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Instead, we would rather meet to chat over a meal and enjoy a laugh.

Celebration should be whenever you wish to celebrate and gifts should be because you truly want to give a gift from the heart, which usually doesn’t come from a shop.
09:51 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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thread 9/9
When I tell this to people they are usually quite thankful and they usually say, I wish I could do this. Well, you can. Make celebrations what you wish them to be. You can do it.
09:55 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Knit Wit
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My extended family agreed to do second hand or handmade gifts one year. We shopped at thrift stores, yard sales, church bazaars. It was a lot of fun. I made lemon sugar and bacon salt. We had lots of fudge and cookies. I highly recommend a Nothing New gift exchange
In response to Carla Reid + Chilla.
10:15 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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Carla Reid + Chilla
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In response to Knit Wit.
Excellent ideas.😊 It is a lot more fun and good for the environment, pocketbook and dare I say the hearts of people.
10:21 AM - Dec 08, 2023
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