Green Christmas

Saving the environment has always been one of my pet advocacies. I know that I could be doing more to further my cause but as with many things in my life, I seem to have more good intentions than actual action. But I try what I can here and there, when inspiration (and a guilty conscience) strikes me.

I made an effort to have a more ecologically aware Christmas by recycling what I can. This applied to Christmas wrapping from old calendars to recycling actual gifts. Yup, I'm a gift recycler and I'm not apologizing for it. I am the type of person who really doesn't hold a lot of sentimentality for gifts. If I can't use it, don't want it, or it doesn't fit me, it goes to someone else who has better use for it.

With this attitude, I also don't hold other people to be sentimental about my gifts. I mean, when my own sister sold the digital camera I gave her so that she can buy a newer model, I didn't even bat an eyelash. I even helped her choose the model she would be trading up to.

When you give something away, it belongs to the recipient already. You don't have the right to control how they want to use it or dispose of it is how I view the whole gift giving thing. Besides, there comes a point when you just have more than enough Body Shop lotion already. The rule of thumb is never to regift something to someone in the same circle. Awkward situations of, "Hey, isn't that what I gave you last year?" can thus be avoided.

I am also rather proud of how my old calendar turned Christmas wrapper turned out. Sure, it looked like a first grader did the wrapping but I worked hard at it . I think I deserve an A for effort at least. :D

I used to think gift-wrapping was a hateful chore but I surprised myself by enjoying my wrapping session tonight. Perhaps because I was recycling, my conscience didn't nag me about the overflowing landfills on our dear planet. I even made little Christmas tree scribbles on the paper in a feeble attempt to make it less plain and more Christmassy.

Let's give new meaning to the Christmas colors of red and GREEN and practice the four Rs of Christmas, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Regift.

Have a merry and green Christmas everyone!