Christmas so how was it?

So another Christmas day has come and gone. For me it was a great Christmas. I had so much fun this year with my family. This was priceless and there is no way you can buy that kind of joy!
Listening to many I guess I must be missing something. On the radio you hear people complain they did not get what they want. That how hard and annoying it is to stand for hours in line waiting for the stores to open on Boxing Day for the big sales. Really sad. I guess a lot of us have lost the meaning of Christmas and are concerned with only the material aspect of the holiday and not the true reason which is the birth of our lord Jesus.
We have overlooked the simplicity of what went down. There was no top of the line hospital and birthing department with nurses. There was not even staying in the Marriott or Hilton no it was a birth in a stable a birth for the world to celebrate a birth of love.
It was quite interesting to hear Father L at our parish at midnight mass how he can't understand people who make those gift lists and write down who purchased what and for how much and then always give back of equivalent value. Father L went on to say if we do give a gift it should be a token of love and not looked at that they gave me something for $10 so I will spend that much and no more or less. You should be giving the gift based on love and not value. Good point!
My bah humbug came Christmas day when we went to the outlaws for Christmas dinner. I saw at least 4-5 Christmas trees already thrown out. Really annoyed me and wondered how Christmas is observed at these houses? Do we open the gifts throw the turkey in the oven and then clean up and throw everything out? I don't know. Certainly this year I have avoided the commercial aspect as much as I can for Christmas to try to grasp a bit of the true meaning. I think I had a good start but still have a long way to go! How about you?