Retail Therapy...

...is a funny term to me. I used to be a spender. Boy, I tell ya what. It was my money, I worked hard for it and I would spend as I pleased. Within reason, I mean I never got myself into any kinda trouble with the spendin'. I just liked clothes. And boots. And shoes. And coats. And coffee from espresso stands. And books. And magazines. Wow, I liked a lot of things! Still do. The thing is, when you get married and you share money with a whole 'nother person, spending gets a little more complicated. Spending is not as frivolous as it once was what with a mortgage. And household bills. And home improvements. And big, joint purchases. Don't get me wrong now, I love being married. And I love being a homeowner but they sure do come with compromises!

Image

Back to retail therapy. There is nothing {to me} like the feeling of spending a good chunk of change. Actually, I like spending small chunks, too. As I have gotten older though, I have found that retail therapy works even if I'm not spending the money on myself! Now, to tie this post in with the holiday season. I love giving gifts. I love looking at an item and thinking of a certain person, buying it, watching them open it and feeling satisfied with the feeling of being able to give something to someone I love. Something that really irks me about this time of year though is the sense of "obligatory gift giving"--well, they got me something so I have to get them something. I really, honestly can say that if I gave my friend, family member, even husband {wellll, maybe that's stretching it} a gift and did not receive one in return, I wouldn't mind because I got to give them something. I know some may not believe this but I can say it with absolute fact. Another irritation is "the spending factor"--I know the gift they are getting me is about this much so that's how much I have to spend. I am spending this much on this brother so I have to spend that much on that brother. Why, oh, why should it be about how much a gift costs rather than the meaning or reasoning behind the gift?

This may sound like a little Christmastime rant and take from it what you will, but those are my thoughts on gift giving. Now, I had a little retail therapy session today and the beneficiary of that session will be my husband. I feel so good about his Christmas gift and it is not because of how much I spent or because I had to get it for him. It is because I CANNOT wait to see the sheer delight on his face when he opens it! I feel that way about all of our gifts this year. We picked some good gifts and I can't wait to see the recipient's faces. For my next trick, I can't wait to get in the habit of making some gifts as well. I guess I don't have to wait a whole year to do that--there are birthdays, anniversaries and showers within the next year I could start in on!

What do you love most about gift-giving? What bothers you about gift-giving? Whose gift are you most excited to give?