The melody “Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”  can be the most stressful time of the year.  With all the media hype and the pressure to give and receive presents, no wonder the FBI reports a jump in the crime rate in December. Have we lost the meaning of Christmas replaced it with Black Friday and the guilt of not having the money to play the Christmas game like seen on TV or social media? Children can sense the stress in parents, instead give more love and spend more time with the children; now that’s priceless, it’s not the expensive gadgets that are obsolete in a few years.

Alternatively, during the holiday season finding happiness can be found in teaching children to be kind and generous with charitable giving,  This could be a kind act of stopping to help a person in need, to making a monetary donation to a charity.  A study by Harvard School of Business “Feeling Good About Giving”, 2009, showed that people who gave charitably showed an increase in their level of happiness.

When George H. W. Bush was asked, what was his most successful achievement, he did not say Ambassador to China under President Reagan, CIA Director, nor the 41st President of the United States of America,  he said “my children still want to come home”

In the end, it’s not the money or “bling” that will make you sing, you can’t buy eternal peace and joy. Our families and friends are our most precious treasures, so give more time and love always.

By Carl Okuyama