Hi All –
I don’t know how it is for YOUR family at this time of the
year but for US, the days seem to pass faster than malicious gossip at a garden
party. Wasn’t it just a week or so
ago that we stood on our doorsteps, passing out candy to charming little children
dressed in their colorful and creative Halloween costumes? And wasn’t there a day between that time and now, which was filled
with joyful cooking and hectic dinner preparations, culminating with a roasted
turkey perched on a platter in the center of the dining room table and
surrounded by more side dishes than a supercomputer can count? Surrounding those, as I recall, was a
legion of ravenous people (many known to Kathleen and myself) descending on the
table in a manner reminiscent of the locusts in the 8th plague of
Egypt. Fortunately the plates,
silverware and the table itself were deemed to be inedible by the assembled
host, otherwise we would be reduced to living on finger foods eaten directly
off the carpet.
Now what adds to OUR busyness at this time of year is the
addition of 1 anniversary and 1 birthday.
Yes, it’s true. My wife and
I married in December (some years ago) and my wife was born in December (also
some years ago). With so
many festive occasions taking place, this time of year just flies by. Of course it could be the fact that the
days are so short which makes it seem that time is passing by so quickly. My typical day: I wake up, eat
breakfast, maybe run an errand, have lunch, have a nap, observe that it is
dinner time, watch a little TV or read a paragraph or two and then it’s “Oh my,
(yawn) just look at the time.
Think I’ll turn in.”
But all that is besides the point of this blog entry. I’m supposed to be writing about
Christmas. I won’t talk about the
origin of Christmas or how Christmas is celebrated here in the U.S. or even how
it is celebrated in the Orkney Islands.
Mainly I want to focus on my perceptions of this holiday. So let me get on my soapbox once again and reiterate the following message.
Many people have come to equate Christmas to some kind
of big party where everybody gives
each other gifts to prove that they love and really care for each other. Retailers will try to guilt you into
thinking that inexpensive gifts don’t show your love as much as expensive
gifts. Call me crazy but to my way of thinking, you show your
love for your friends and family all year long by your interactions with
them. I think you know what I
mean. If your friend is suffering
through some type of crisis, you drop
them a note of support or ring them
up. If your spouse has had a
rough day, maybe you cook dinner and clean up, even if it isn’t your turn. Christmas, then, becomes a time of
family togetherness and celebration, a time to count your blessings and rejoice
in your relationships that are beyond price. And yes, Virginia, gifts are a part of the fun of giving and
receiving.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Kevin
Reminder: If you are unsure about the meaning of the
idioms used in this message, please refer to "Idioms, Figures of Speech,
and Proverbs" posted in August. An alternative is to look at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com
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