Getting back that personal meaning

We’ve lost that personal Christmas touch

There was a time when Christmas giving meant finding a special gift for that special person or persons in your life.

And there was a time when you’d spend days — if not weeks — going up and down the isles of the local stores, scouring the crowded shelves in search of that elusive item you knew was just the right gift for those people on your list.

If that didn’t work, then maybe you’d pour over the Christmas catalogue (when such a thing existed) or the weekly flyers all the while hoping, just hoping, that inspiration would leap off the pages and with a little luck, you could complete your shopping list.

Let’s be honest, while most of us complained about having to get on the treadmill that is the holiday gift-giving season, deep down inside you really did enjoy it. And if we are really being honest, we’ll admit searching for those elusive “must-have” gifts was part of the holiday fun. In fact, crossing names off your gift list played an important part in your Christmas traditions.

These days, however, it seems that many of those traditions are going by the wayside as more and more people have turned to technology to complete their shopping routines. The trend today is to “e-transfer” funds to the people on your list. Now that’s the spirit.

I get it that there comes a time when it just becomes easier to transfer money from one bank account to another and you can do it with so much ease days you want to take advantage. In less than 10 seconds you pull out whichever of your electronic devices you choose, push a few buttons and voilà you’ve crossed another person off your list.

A few more quick transactions like that and before you know it, you’ve completed all of your Christmas “shopping.”

Admittedly, that’s the easy route and it’s surely convenient for those people who find it physically difficult to get out shopping such as seniors and those with mobility issues. Transferring money also makes it so much easier for those family members and friends who live long distances from us.

Again, that convenience is an important bonus and not only that, but sending money through e-transfer saves the shipping and mailing costs so that’s another bonus.

It has become a rite of passage that as children grow older, they become more difficult to buy for and once they hit a certain teen age, they pretty much anticipate that relatives, especially grandparents, will give cash instead of a gift that’s really not useful or practical. We’ve all gone through that stage where we hope to receive money so we can buy something we really want instead of receiving that Christmas sweater that you “wouldn’t be caught dead in” or getting another pair of mittens that sweet ole’ nanny knit just for you.

Come on. Admit it. It’s part of the tradition, but even at that point of reality, most of us remember when we received cash for a gift it usually came in a nice card with a pretty picture on the front and an inspirational saying on the inside. And it was always signed by that special person, be it your grandmother, a favourite aunt or another family who lives so far away that you’re lucky if you see them once every couple of years.

But that’s what made it special and part of the tradition of Christmas gift giving. It wasn’t about the amount enclosed in the card, but more about that personal touch the gift represented. And these cards made special keepsakes that we sometimes hang onto for many years.

In fact, I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find a few cards I received from my grandmother even though she has been gone for many years now. And I know I can still locate many of the Christmas cards my mother gave to my sons when they were young and she, too, has been gone for many years. While the cards had contained money, that’s not what it’s important. These special keepsakes also hold special meaning to us and that’s why we treasure them.

Unfortunately, it seems those times have long since passed as was proven to me during a recent conversation when I innocently asked the seasonal

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VERNON OICKLE