Sunday 20 November 2011

It Is More Blessed…

Everyone, it seems, has some sort of opinion on the John Lewis Christmas ad. It’s a bit “Marmite” – you either love it, or hate it. For those of you who may not have seen it…

…here it is!

Personally, I enjoyed it. I liked the ending – that the boy who had been bursting with excitement as he waited for Christmas Day was just dying to take Mum and Dad his gift to them.

I don’t want to join the cynics – I want to celebrate the fact that Christmas is about giving, not getting. That there is real joy in showing your love to somebody else.

OK, so it is a white, middle-class, relatively affluent family – but presumably JL are advertising to their customer base, many of whom fall into that category.

But the sentiment behind the ad holds true for any family, surely?

pictureYears ago, when I was busy inspecting and registering Playgroups, I had a work colleague who always got Very Cross when she went into a P/G where the children were encouraged to ‘paint a picture to take home for Mummy’. She maintained that giving was not a natural instinct, and we should not make these tots ‘feel obligated to try and gain affection with gifts’ – and the P/G leaders were teaching the wrong thing. I said I didn’t think that was the reasoning behind it at all. You paint the picture to show Mummy you love her, not to make her love you?

Furthermore, I believe I have been made in the image of a gracious, generous giving God, so I believe that He has given me the desire to give to others. Giving is a good, God-given part of human nature.

I still treasure some little notes and cards and trinkets which the girls have given me since their earliest years. Presents, maybe not valuable in monetary terms, but infinitely more precious because of the love and thought that went into them.

jlewis

I should say at this point that whilst I did enjoy the JL advert, I am unlikely to buy any of my Christmas fripperies in their sparkling, but expensive, emporium this year. Lack of Supply Teaching, coupled with imminent Car Tax and MOT bills mean we may well be dining on Mrs Beeton’s Economy Toast Sandwiches soon [see here and here!]

But that’s fine - you already know how much I love toast!

7 comments:

  1. I haven't seen it before, so thank you, I think it's lovely, but then I am an old softee and love things rather cheesey.
    And how right you are, Christmas has become such a retail extravaganza, preying on everyone's desires to give the right present or pester to get it.
    I will be giving home-made jams, jewellery and scarves this year ...... I can't be doing with all the pressure to buy the all usual stuff.

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  2. That ad made me cry to be honest - it's the bit where he jumps into bed after scoffing his dinner and then the following more he gets out of bed, walks passed all of his presents and produces a badly wrapped present to give to his family. Love it love it love it!

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  3. I really like the ad. So sweet. Kids do love to give. I always told my mother about her gift before Christmas, because I LOVED giving things to her!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Not a lot of supply teaching? Why?

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  4. I thought it was rather sweet, especially that he was more concerned about giving than getting.

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  5. When we first saw the ad, we all went 'Ahhh!' at the end of it, which is presumably the idea and hits the right note for Christmas. Glad I found your blog by the way!

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  6. I love it love it love it too. Well up at the end every time! Mind you, I only see it through you, us not having JL here, which is just as well or I'd live in a permanent state of covetousness! Feeling big pressure on boys this year for first time ever- am managing to be entirely ethical on all other fronts, and will wage spiritual war on the other! Or shall just move from the suburbs, not that I'll manage that in the next month!

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  7. By the way- am now enough through ironing to do dots- inspired JL ad and its stick on tin foil stars and the dotty cushion on sofa- but am going walking in rain first to clear raging headache. Walking in torrent, actually!

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