As some of you know, I don't believe in christmas. Last year was supposed to be my first year without the holiday. Mom insisted that people still were going to buy me things, so I said if you wanna do something for me make donations to the valley mission and savedarfur. Well, they made me change that to accepting presents if they were coupled with donations, then come christmas time lots of presents but no donations. So I said fine, next year I'm not even going to my grandmothers house for the family gettogether if people can't resist giving me things. Well now, I'm getting the guilt trip put on me because this is likely both my grandmothers and our dog Friends last christmas, so fine I don't wanna be the a - hole to make my grandmother upset. Now, wouldn't you know it, people have presents for me again, ARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!! How am I supposed to do what I feel is the right thing if my family won't respect my wishes? Why should I be given a bunch of crap I don't need when there are people who don't have anything at all, not even food to eat? Uggg, ok I'm done ranting now, one of these days I'm gonna learn to do what it takes..lol;^]

Ya....you gotta hate those present givers!!! Just accept the gifts and thank them. It makes them feel good giving you things. They dont have to know that you took them to a homeless shelter and gave them away......

just a thought, if they continue giving you gifts, you could always donate what you receive to those who need it more, and then could volunteer at a shelter to help cook or serve meals during \the holidays, or even donate food type goods to shelters or food pantries ,

or ask if any left over food from ya'lls meal can be donated, fill paper plates with left overs, cover them with plastic or foil and then hand them out to homeless ppl who have no shelter to go to or carry them to local shelters or churches and see if they could use them to help feed those who need it

That's actualy what I did last year & will do again this year, I'm only ranting because they're not respecting my wishes and my beliefs. I'm not one of those guys who gets a card & sends it back, and when people say "merry christmas" I just say thank you, out of respect for their beliefs. But it seems sometimes like it's a one way streak. Oh well, maybe next year will be better;^]

like the posters before me, donate the presents or return them and give away the money you get back or use it to buy for others. then i think you should tell them what you did. maybe they will get the hint for next year. if they get mad, they will get over it. it sounds like they dont listen to you when it comes to presents so its time for some tough love. this year i was planning on buying presents for an underprivileged child and giving my family cards saying that for their gift, i gave another child christmas in their name, but unfortunately i was financially unable to do so. maybe you should consider doing this with your family....may help them get the hint. good luck and merry christmas. (and spend the time with your family. dont let the whole present thing get in the way.)

Take your gifts back for the money, or SELL them to get cash to donate BACKTO the shelter.
OR, see IF ANYONE at the shelter can USE THEM.

Giving to another is simply THEM "TRYING" to show "YOU" they care about ya.

I don't care what ANYONE gives or gets, as long as I know the SPIRIT of CHRISTMAS is still here for MY grandchildren to SEE and FEEL.

Its NOT, all about GIFTS, its about EVERYONE "TRYING" to "OPEN" up THEIR HEARTS to and for OTHERS..

THIS SEASON is OUR TIME to at LEAST "ACT" like GOD INTENDED US TO BE ON THIS PLANET, ONE PEOPLE, ONE FEELING, ONE PASSION,
To KNOW CHRIST, and to FEEL "LOVE" FOR ALL OF HIS HUMAN BEINGS
THAT HE MADE, US,,,,,,,,To feel as a whole on one idea and thought, CARING AND GIVING of ALL OF EACH OF US!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
And just KEEP on CARING BRO..

Deal with it successfully like you always have. To get upset does no good for yourself. When dealing with this minor issue I'm wondering how you will handle saving the whole world. That's overwhelming. Let me tell you. 42 billion people gets a little heavy on the shoulders.

I don't consider it minor, to me it is against God. And I don't have to save the world, but it's nice to help a few, even $5 can feed 5 people. Thanks to my faith in Christ however, the burden is never too much to bare. Not trying to convert anyone or anything, just my beliefs;^]

I would like to put a different twist on this.

If you indeed feel so strong about all this, why do you accept any of the gifts. No one holds a gun to your head & forces you to open them. You can leave them under the tree, explain your reasons & settle the matter once & for all. I question if you are trying to exert control by telling people what to do? The only thing you can really control is YOU. So, take your stand, don't back down, but do it from a point of compromise. You will achieve your goal of no presents, your family will truely know your point of view & grandma will see you over the holidays.

No need to rant again next year.

I know that's what I should do, but it's hard, not a lot more painful than watching my mother or grandmother cry because I refuse their presents. On the other hand you're right, if I don't take a stand things may never change. This year I'm just gonna take it as is out of love for my grandmother, she's been acting very confused lately & we all expect the worst. If what we think is about to happen happens next year she may not even understand the differance. Thank you everybody for the input, God bless;^]

and may God continue to bless you my brother in Christ.

I agree donating is a Great idea...if you don't believe in Christmas...maybe you can turn it into something for someone who does.
Buffalo N.Y... This was in todays paper

Donn Esmonde: 5-year-olds all deserve a Christmas
Donn Esmonde
Updated: 12/23/07 10:25 AM



There is a Santa Claus. I saw him Friday afternoon. He came to the school filled with 5-year-olds who, despite the places they live, are like 5- year-olds anywhere. The hard streets have not yet sapped their spirit. There is a world of hope in their hearts and a mountain of innocence in their eyes.

Some will keep the hope alive, others will lose it along the way. Some will grow up to be teachers and firefighters, executives and electricians. Others — if the usual odds hold — will grow old beyond their years and dream of little beyond the end of another day.

There is no way of knowing what will happen to these 5-year-olds in 15 or 20 years. But at age 5, on Friday afternoon, they were pretty much in the same place. The world is magical when you are 5. Fantasies of reindeer pulling a sleigh driven by a jolly fellow and filled with toys are as real as a boarded-up house or hard-eyed young men standing on street corners.

It is a wonderful thing when Santa appears in the form of brightly wrapped gifts. Adults slog through packed malls and endure weeks of tinny holiday music to make their kids’ Santa dreams real. We do it for them because we remember how it was for us. The emptied wallets and the gritted teeth are melted by the looks on their faces on Christmas morning.

Every kid deserves that. The ones who deserve it most are usually the ones who get the least. Life is not fair. Kids learn the lesson soon enough. Some of them learn it on Christmas morning.

There are a few dozen 5-year-olds I know who will not learn that lesson, not this year. Friday they wore khaki pants and sky-blue polo shirts with Enterprise Charter School stitched on the front. Nine of every 10 kids in the city school are so poor that the government buys them lunch. Home for a few of them is a homeless shelter. Some have a parent in jail. You know the story. America’s innercity crisis is so common it has, tragically, become a cliche.

The kindergarteners at Enterprise returned to their classrooms from assembly Friday afternoon. A shopping bag filled with gifts was at each of their seats. Months ago, each wrote down three Christmas gift requests. Mixed among the typical — Barbies and Spiderman — were the touching: Flowers for Mom. A doll for a sister. A quilt.

The requests were forwarded to Brian Biggie. The Buffalo attorney knows people at Enterprise. He hears the stories they tell. He decided to play Secret Santa.

Biggie weeks ago e-mailed the kids’ gift requests to fellow attorneys and friends. An anonymous army of “Santas” bought, wrapped and delivered the gifts to Biggie’s office. The Enterprise folks picked them up this week. Friday afternoon, Christmas came to a lot of kids who might otherwise get just a little.

Squeals and screeches filled the air in Melinda Meczynski’s kindergarten class. Desirae is a skinny kid with a wide smile and her hair in beaded braids.

“I got a baby doll with a stroller,” she said, pulling the package out of the gift bag. “I wanted one for forever.”

Felix Rodriguez III fell to his knees, eyes wide, and tore at the box holding a radio-controlled toy car. His father, Felix Jr., sat nearby, a large man in a white coat, as surprised as the boy he had come to take home.

“All my life, I’ve never seen something like this,” said Rodriguez, shaking his head. “I would love to see this for every kid in the city, in every classroom.”

These kids will not stay 5 forever. Innocence flickers and fades. Hope fights to survive on hard streets. But on Friday afternoon, small faces filled with wonder as Santa came alive. It was a moment to remember. It is a day they will never forget.

Awwwwwwwwwwwww Dawnette!!! What a beautiful story!!! Thanks for sharing that!!!

These kids will not stay 5 forever. Innocence flickers and fades. Hope fights to survive on hard streets. But on Friday afternoon, small faces filled with wonder as Santa came alive. It was a moment to remember. It is a day they will never forget.

DITTO on what Gypsy said......

I know ...when I read it this morning, I had to hold back the tears. Sometimes I guess we forget what it is all about. Anyhow...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE HERE

I will NEVER forget to give my heart to others.
I just wish I was RICH and could PLAY santa ALL over this city...THAT WOULD BE SO COOL...all the happy little faces.....

I agree with this completely. I'm not one for gift-giving at Christmas time because I'm an adult and if I want something I'll just get it and I think everyone else should as well. Gifts are for children because it makes them happy and hopefully gives them a reason to be good all year The best you can do is be thankful to those that give you something and, if possible, inform them of your position on the matter so they can respect it next year. In all of your posts you've seemed to be a decent guy that puts a lot of thought into what you say so you shouldn't have a problem explaining where you stand. Hopefully things are better for you next year. Until then just enjoy giving what you receive to those that really need it. Doesn't it feel good helping someone that needs it? You rock dude.

if you want to help on world hunger,try this

www.freerice.com


it's a vocabulary quiz and for each answer you get right,you'll be donating a certain amount of rice to children in need

Hey, that looks pretty good, know anything about their reputation? I'll have to go back to that when I'm done here. Thanks;^]

i've heard alot of good things about it from other friends.i did it for about 2 hours a few nights ago and you don't have to register or anything so i don't see any way of them like stealing your name or whatever.