Christmas vs Happy Holidays??

Lately I have been seeing so many things on facebook regarding Christmas.  Ugh.  Honestly, it's becoming more than I can bare so I am going to address some of those things from my point of view.

First, I will address the whole "Keep Christ in Christmas" thing.  Well, how can Christ not be in Christmas isn't that what the whole "(Christ)mas word is....how can you take him out.  Oh, I know, there are people who celebrate the Holiday without acknowledging the whole meaning.  Gifts are where it's at...Santa Claus means more then the fact that baby Jesus was born that day.  Yes, you can take Christ out of Christmas, but really, if you want Christ in Christmas make it that way for you.  It isn't for you to judge whether someone else is doing the whole thing right, it's for you to make sure that the meaning isn't lost on your family, during your time, at the meal etc.  Keeping anything in your celebration is for you to control...not for you to control in others.  Judgment?  What does that have to do with Christ?  Yes, society is getting more and more commercialized, I have seen it with my own eyes, but honestly, if you do what you want to do, and you celebrate it the way you see fit....well isn't that all that really matters? 

Second, the whole "It's Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays".  This whole thing drives me a little around the bend.  For me, any pleasant greeting I get is better than what I could get...I am just grateful that people are willing to share glad tidings no matter what they say.  Isn't it better to be wished something than nothing at all....for goodness sakes, it's not just Christmas during this time of year, it's a lot of things so why not just be happy saying whatever you wish and hearing whatever someone else would like to give you.  Honestly, if I were to share how I absolutely feel about this whole thing it would be this.  To say that people must say "Merry Christmas" is so arrogant.  To think that your Holiday is more important than any other Holiday celebrated at this time of year is a bigoted way to think.  Yes, more people in your particular area of the world just might be celebrating Christmas than any other Holiday, but there are always those that do not.  Saying that one must wish people "Merry Christmas" is so single minded....I would much rather be inclusive than divided, I would much rather not take this time of year and use it to offend others, or even to maybe take the chance of offending.  This time of year, more than any other time, shouldn't we be thinking about our brothers and sisters who live in our neighborhood, city, county, province or Country?  Shouldn't we want all of us to come together, rather than make this about who's more important and who should shut up?  For as long as I can remember people wished each other "Happy Holidays"....in fact there is a song that goes something like this "Happy Holidays, Happy Holidays, while the merry bells keep ringing, Happy Holidays to you".  That song was sung by Bing Crosby in the movie Holiday Inn and is from the 40's.  All of a sudden people are freaking out that they are being wished "Happy Holidays" get over it people.....if you are Christian, than act like it!  In my opinion, if you want to keep Christ in Christmas, so being so angry, start being more kind, and then you will keep Christ in Christmas, as isn't that what he brought to us all those years ago?

I think we are all getting far too serious.  Enjoy your time with your family, if you don't want it to do with anything other than Christ than don't, if you want to wish people Merry Christmas than do and stop worrying about all the other crap....it just fills up what should be a much more peaceful time of year.  I look forward to celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas in our house, as we always do...with presents, and food, and Christmas trees, and Menorahs and all the lights outside and in.  We love it all!!

I know, it's so shocking!

This may come as a surprise, but I have to admit it anyways.  I am not perfect.  I know, I'm as shocked as you are to read this.....it's no laughing matter.  I know, most of us think we are perfect, we think we do no wrong, we think that our shit doesn't stink, but I am just now realizing I have a long way to go to reach perfection.

There are things I do that after I do then I wonder "why on earth did I do that" or "say that" or "act that way" or "react that way".  Yes, believe it or not but I have been known to talk about people behind their backs.  No, not to hurt necessarily, however I am sure if those people where to hear what I was saying they would be hurt.  I have always said that it's more about venting, rather than having ill intent.  I can't help it, I have tried to fix this, I have tried to stop, but the honest truth is some people just drive me nuts and if I don't share it with trusted people in my life I might explode.  Literally.  Yes, I am not perfect, not at all.

I have been known to put myself first, yes ahead of even my child at times.  I'm not talking about the ways we have to put ourselves ahead of or children, like when you need to put the oxygen mask on first before you can help you child, I mean in ways that have nothing to do with him.  There are times I ask him to go play so that I can enjoy my second cup of coffee on a Saturday morning.  There have been times where I have asked him to go watch tv just so that I can go to my room and read my book.  Yes, selfish I know, I am not perfect.

There have been times where I have sped up in a store in order to not be behind the elderly woman in line.  Yes, I have been known to speed pass, wind whipping that woman's hair just so that I can be first.  I am not perfect, I need to work on this....but the fact is this, there are just times I am not in the mood to stand behind someone slow, someone who takes the time to do a bit of socializing while they do their transactions.  There are times I just want to be first.  Yes, I admit it, I want to be first!  Ugh.  I know, I need to work on this.

I have been know to stick a particular finger out the window at other drivers.  Yes, I am not perfect.  There have been times where I am just not in the mood to almost get hit while driving down the road, or being cut off, or have someone steal the parking spot I have been patiently waiting for.  I know, I should turn the other cheek, but I can't for some reason at times.  I know I need to work on these things.  I know I do.

Not being perfect has hit me hard.  I don't know if I can handle the real truth, but I will have to try.  I mean, really.... I should feel too bad, I am human after all.  I can tell myself that there are lots of people worse than me, lots of people who don't ever do good, but the true fact of the matter is we are all human.  We all make mistakes, we all do things we shake our heads at after we have done them.  Does it excuse our behavior, no, but no one is perfect and that's the honest truth.  The thing I have to try to remember is this, every single day I get a brand new chance to start from scratch.  Yes, there will always be those people who will always focus on the wrongs you have done, but those people don't mean anything.  I can do it differently, every single day working on improvement.  Some day's I might make inroads, and some day's I may go back to the same routine.  The focus for me is just to keep trying, I mean isn't that all we can do, try??