Christmas Cheer?

OK I realize I am probably not going to win a popularity contest with this blog entry. BUT  gluttony is never a popular topic anyway. Tis the season to be jolly. Ho, ho, ho. Some have so so much and others have  so very little... Ho, ho, ho.

Have you ever had the opportunity to watch some HGTV decorating programs?  Well I caught a  special decorating show for Christmas where 3 Interior Designers in each show decorate celebrities's homes.  These homes included a variety of performers, musically and theatrical and a former sports figure.  Not only were 2 rooms of each home elaborately transformed to Christmas wonderlands with  theme appropriate desserts/ dinner  but in some cases there was  even entertainment and exterior lighting culminating in a soiree for the owners's family/ friends.

Light enchantment 

This pool was filled with 100's of balloons...

I realize wealthy people are 'busy/ maybe not into decorating' but what I can't understand is why people who can afford to hire decorators are the recipient of these TV designers's expertise. Maybe because we the viewers want to be voyeurs into the homes of the rich and famous...

But how much more meaningful to provide this fairytale Christmas for those who are not really living a ' fairytale' life?  Heck, maybe the celebrity shells out $10,000 to have this done and gets a discount since they are filming it for TV but we are never told as the viewer. I know we are supposed to get ideas for our own homes. Some easy to do makeovers... Right in our spare time with our spare chump change.

The discrepancy really hit me when a TV celebrity who has one, yes one 9 yr. old daughter has their big Tudor home's den transformed into Santa's Workshop complete with his desk to write Santa letters and 100's of wrapped boxes stacked to cover  book shelves, Santa's chair awaiting his arrival and yes he does arrive, a toy train encircling the tree and while she has 1, yes one other child guest at the party. How cool would have it been to have created this for an orphanage and let the kids have at the candy cane bedecked dinner table. 

It would be so much more meaningful if Christmas was provided for people who can't go out and decorate because they don't have that kind of discretionary monies. Why not provide a beautiful Christmas for these families? To be treated and fed like you are royalty for one day of the year. No styrofoam in the soup kitchen/ shelter. Impractical? Maybe. But how gloriously special!

Reality is that we don't like to talk about poverty in our country.  BUT what better time to  be spreading a little joy to those who may have lost jobs and homes...