It is that time of the year again, the time when there is always more pressure on the family purse than it can carry and some desires will, inevitably, have to go unfulfilled due to the imbalance between the strength of the purse and pressure on it.
Lists are being prepared for Christmas gifts, names are written down with alternatives of gifts of choice next to each one, the prices are being calculated and some alternatives are crossed out, etc. etc.
No doubt, the season is recognized as the time of generosity and everybody is prepared to do their best to let those loved ones know that they are in the hearts and minds of the gift givers.
There are also those we don’t know, those with whom we would like to share what we are blessed with, either by filling a shoe box, or by donating to the food bank or contributing to a charitable organization.
While we are getting prepared to enjoy the festive season, there are things we should always keep in mind.
One is the fact that we are still in the throes of the worst economic decline for decades. Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, it’s rather dim. It is likely to be at least another six months to a year before the wheels of the provincial economy begin to turn fast enough to create jobs again.
Secondly, one should not forget that Christmas season is traditionally a time of sneaking price increments as well as that money has a mysterious way of finding easy exits from the purse once the string is loose. It is no secret for any bread-earner in a family that the end result in a shopping season almost always brings the family budget to red no matter how hard one tries to prevent this situation.
Thirdly, in this age of information revolution, it is always possible to discover many creative ways of demonstrating our affection to those we love in much more inexpensive ways than those we have grown accustomed to in times of prosperity.
In short, we are going to celebrate Christmas at a time when there is increased demand for the services of the food banks, when families are struggling to make ends meet and gifts may be difficult to afford. But at the same time, we all would like to make sure that the celebrations are not shadowed by the negative impact of economic constraints.
So it might not be uncommon these days to find many people torn between the stress of wanting to give and the lack of financial strength to do it.
There is one proverb which I believe could be a very good guide for these times of difficulty: “Charity begins at home.”
— Mustafa Eric