I can't count how many times I've said that in the past couple of weeks. I wish the holiday season could just be about getting together with the ones that you love and forget about the presents, unless you have little kids, of course.

It's not that I can't afford to buy presents. I am someone who likes to buy things for people when I see something I know they'd like, and then give it to them NOW. There was a time in my life that I could barely afford to pay my bills and this season used to stress me out to the point of tears because I felt I couldn't afford to buy for all the people that I was OBLIGATED to buy for. Maybe that scarred me for life. Who knows.

I've known people who were forever disappointed that they didn't get 'this' or 'that' for Christmas or their birthday. Every time I hear things like that it makes me dislike the whole gift giving bit even more.

My husband and I made a decision long ago to not buy each other birthday or Christmas gifts. We've even asked my children to not buy us anything for Christmas or our birthdays, because all we REALLY want is the gift of their presence on these special days. And you know what? We ALWAYS get what we want for our Christmas and birthdays because we have the people we love around us. My sister and I don't exchange birthday presents anymore. Instead we treat the other to a matinee movie and/or lunch. Bonus points because we're doing something fun AND being in the presence of someone we love.

'Santa' still comes for my boys even though they're 22 and 24. It's how we get out of the whole 'exchanging' gifts thing. When I have grandchildren, you can bet that I'll be buying them LOTS of stuff for Christmas. That's when it's fun; when little kids are involved. Adults? Not so much.

If I ran the world (and what a scary place that'd be, eh?) I'd make some sort of law that nobody would get Christmas or birthday presents unless they're little children or they're elderly. I like giving presents to the elderly because they truly enjoy the idea that they're being thought of and seem happy to get no matter what it is that you give them. Little children are easy. Give them a big box and they're happy (just kidding, but it's almost true!) Instead, people should be given gifts because they were being thought of by someone on some random day.

Today, I'm waiting for a call from my sister and then we're going to go trudging through the malls to do our Christmas shopping. The only good part about this is that I'll get to spend time with my sister and that we'll fit in a good lunch.

Everything else about it? BAH HUMBUG.

**these opinions are the sole opinion of RisibleGirl. They do not represent the opinions of the general population and she's willing to concede to that and be a lemming at the mall just like everyone else today. **