Family Stress

I just got a phone call from my Mom which is starting to give me a bit of anxiety. I've been going through this issue with my family about spending money on presents for each other. We are all adults and are all having a tough time right now with money being tight. God knows I hear from my Mom enough about how now that my dad is retired things are going to be tight. So here's the stress.

My Dad's birthday is at the beginning of April, my Mom's two weeks later. My birthday was yesterday. Both of my sisters and my nephews have birthdays within the next two weeks. We also have Mother's Day and Father's Day coming up. I was at my parents house delivering their presents, when I mentioned, because it has been stressing me out for years, that it was getting to hard to buy Christmas and birthday presents for everyone. I would rather just buy for my nieces and nephews. We are all getting older and I am constantly getting things I don't need or want. I live in a small place and have no storage room. I think that as we get older, my sisters and I are all approaching 40, we don't need to give up paying bills during these times to buy gifts for each other. My mom comes back with "That's ridiculous, what do you want for your birthday". **sigh** I told her I didn't need anything. Well she won't hear of it, "I'll get you gift cards, where do you want them from". The thing is I just gave both of them gift cards. My sisters both got them gift cards, My sisters will give me gift cards and I will give them gift cards. None of us need anything anymore and we've been reduced to the "gift card exchange".

Not that I am unappreciative of the gifts and the sentiment, but I can't afford it, they can't afford it and it's unnecessary.

So today I get the phone call, My mom letting me know that my sisters are taking her out to breakfast for Mothers Day, great, I would love to take my mom out to breakfast for mothers day, and it's affordable. Then she hits me with a list of gifts she would like. Now I'm faced with not being able to afford groceries, my license renewal or my car insurance for the month. I have to give up one, to go along with this family tradition. My next check after the Mother's day celebration has to pay for, a birthday present for my nephew and a communion gift for my niece. Those are ok, I am happy to get them gifts, they're children, I also have to get my two sisters presents, again, other bills are coming due, something is going to go unpaid.

I don't want this to make me sound cold and ungrateful, but I don't thing gift giving is necessary to show love or affection. I don't want to put my family in the poor house so they can buy me presents and I don't want to be there myself. I just think we are getting to old and need to wise up a little. Isn't having a small family gathering to wish each other well enough. To me spending time with the ones we love is more important than anything.