Sometimes What We Really Need Is A Hug

With this emphasis on the exchange of material goods as a reward, we all know how some people have lost their damn minds. The religious and cultural practices take a back seat to getting that video game console or MP3 player. Some parents are feeling such financial strain, children are now asking for jobs to help their parents out. 

Dear Santa:

I am thirteen years old. My family has never had to ask for help before.

My mom and my dad have always had okay jobs and we were fine. Last year my mom got sick and she had to stop working. The bills from the doctors are very high. Even though my dad still is working, we don’t have enough money always to buy the things we need.

My teacher told me I could write to you because what I really want for Christmas is some new clothes.

We literally buy into this idea that to celebrate something with our friends and families requires a price tag and feel inadequate when we have to cut back and be frugal. Who really wants to stick to a budget if we've chosen to believe that bigger is better? We're missing the point though. Unless a larger event looms over our consciousness such as the death of a relative or something else that's usually unpleasant and unwanted, it takes a serious effort at recognizing our indoctrination.

People also mistake feelings of affection or lust as something that indicates familiarity and compatibility with another. How many people think of guarding their bodies as a necessity when we live in a society that likes to skip over getting to know themselves let alone another person? Unless we've been taught to value ourselves and learned how to evaluate others, we'll have to fumble our way through a bumpy road to enlightenment. The way people practice their religiosity can further compound that growth.

It's not an easy thing to accept when those that look like you could be your worst enemies or when blood ties are worthless. It could make one want to stay in bed and never leave. We have to look for that silver lining that's within every cloud. No matter how difficult things get there's someone else who has it worse. We may be under the weather but we can get through the storm. We just need to believe it and take the most miniscule of steps to move forward. One never knows how that smile you give a person on the street today could be the thing that gets them through it. That's why sometimes we don't need grand gestures or major declarations. Sometimes all we really need is a hug: literal or virtual.