Jenn:
First let me start saying that I love Christmas and the meaning behind it. It's just nowadays I can't help but be disgusted by people's behavior during the holidays! I have been run into, harassed by mall employees, and have even seen two people get out of their cars to ARGUE over a PARKING SPACE!!!!! All that I can kinda ignore and still try to teach my children better manners. The biggest problem I have had every year since being a military spouse is our battalions Christmas party. Let me explain. I volunteer with the battalion as a Family Readiness Assistant therefore I am involved in the planning of this party every year. The other volunteers and I spend time decorating, arranging for a Santa, and coordinating with a charity ( Words of Comfort, Hope, and Promise ran by Ms. Cynthia Martinez who is wonderful by the way!!) who has adopted our battalion. Usually the charity provides us with gifts for the Marines and there families and a dinner. Sometimes since they do sponsor other units they can only provide toys for the kids. This is no problem for most people, but this is where my irritation comes in. Every year while eating amongst the families of the battalion( most who don't know that I am a volunteer) I hear complaints about the gifts they got. On top of the complaints about the gifts not being good enough, my kids get trampled and shoved out of the way to get to the gifts people deem as cheap. Furthermore while eating the meal provided for us for free my family and I get to listen to the charming conversations ( I am being sarcastic here) of the single Marines. The whole experience is just very frustrating. Why can't people just appreciate the things given to them? Why do they have such a sense of entitlement? Why don't they know how to behave in public? I am thankful that the battalion my husband is in cares enough about the families to even throw a Christmas party!! Let alone provide food a Santa and gifts for my children all for free!!! Apparently this is not good enough for some people though. It makes me sad that very few people are actually happy that they were thought of. There doesn't have to be an organization that provides gifts to us. These volunteers are providing us with these things because they truly are thankful for what the military does not because they are obligated too. Its is sickening to me that so many people are unappreciative. In this world we live in where so many people are down on the military it is heartwarming when people actually go out of their way to help us. Cynthia Martinez is not a military spouse. Neither are many of the people that volunteer with her organization. They are just thankful of the service our loved ones provide. So if they give me anything even just a simple thank you it warms my heart. They don't have to. I may not go to the Christmas party this year. It gets harder every year to hold my tongue around ungrateful people. The only reason I will go is because there are always people every year who actually do appreciate the things given to them.
Jamie:
This season really is one of those that makes you question what peoples real intentions are. For the most part what I see is people trying to keep up with the "Jones'". It's a bit ridiculous that it is expected to spend a obscene amount of money on gifts for people that you hardly ever see and half the time either don't appreciate it or like it. My mother in-law has stopped doing Christmas because she used to hand make gifts for her family and they would look at her like she had given them a lump of coal in their stocking. I love this holiday but too many times have seen the fight over the last tickle me elmo or whatever the hot toy is that season. Coming from working retail basically since I could work I have seen the best and worst of people this time of year. It is really sad that it's only a season where you're supposed to spread kindness and generosity, and half the time most people miss the point all together.
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