Christmas: What It Means to Me

From a child I was taught that Santa was a figment of the imagination and that Christmas had more pagan roots than Christian.  In fact, in school choir I was forbidden to sing Christmas Carols as they were pagan songs of worship not Christian. That’s all fair and I don’t feel mad or embittered at my parents for their strictness, or critical views of Christmas because as an adult I’ve come to learn from my own research that many of the Christmas rituals actually did originate from pagan practices and were consolidated into an acceptable “Christian” holiday.

But that was then and this is now.  And so what does Christmas mean to me today?

Today Christmas means to me:

• A time when others think about someone besides themselves
• A time to create memories that last a life time
• A time to enjoy the festive lights and decorations
• A time to celebrate that family still matters to millions and millions of people
• A time to help others that may not be receptive to help at other times of the year
• A time to thank God that we can choose to celebrate any day, any way we choose in America
• A time to remind myself that judgmental opinions tear down relationships
• A time to not only feel but add to the joy that is in the air
• A time to consider how to encourage others to make this joyous season last year long

And so today I don’t fret or worry about what Christmas means to others, or where all the rituals came from that make up this Christmas day, because as the Grinch thought in Dr. Seuss’ book “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.”  Maybe Christmas is what is in my heart and yours.  Maybe Christmas is what we make of it and not what it was made up of years ago.  And maybe, just maybe, together we can make a better world tomorrow than yesterday if we keep focusing on the good instead of the bad.

And so this Christmas, I wish you the best and merriest Christmas ever, and I hope that all that this day means to you will be a blessing that keeps on giving for the entire year and years to come.

Blessings to all and to all a good night.