Will B. Enjoying CHRISTMAS
By now, with Christmas just two days away, we should all be full of Christmas cheer. But unfortunately, I have never been one full of that Christmas spirit; I do enjoy many of the rituals that come with the Christmas season, though. It’s not that I am some Grinch, Bah Hum Bug. It’s just that my family has not ever been that close; there were no huge holiday git togethers, no endless buffet of holiday meals, and not a room full of family gathered around the Christmas tree ready to exchange presents.
I love Christmas because everyone seems just a little nicer to one another and a bit more patient. Of course, there are plenty of Santa moments as well. A Santa moment is when someone gives generously or helps others without thinking of what they might get in return. I would love to see these Christmas traits practiced year-round. Although I must admit since moving to this sweet little town of Olney, I have seen so many more acts of kindness and generosity than what I would see typically in Fort Worth, where I moved from.
The reason for the Season is Jesus Christ’s birth, to borrow a popular saying. But, unfortunately, somewhere along the line, this has gotten lost and replaced with commercialism for most of America. I worked at Walmart and Home Depot in the past and witnessed just how ugly people can be toward one another when it comes to Black Friday sales. It’s not a pretty sight, but there is always a balance, it seems, and people always seem to redeem themselves with acts of kindness in a time when acts of kindness are genuinely needed.
Other things I like about Christmas are eggnog, extra time off from work, and seeing the excitement and wonder of children who get to experience Christmas wonder for the first time. When I was young, we did have a family Christmas. I guess it ended when I was about 12 or 13, but those Christmases were full of wonder and excitement. We would get the Sears catalog in the mail about a month before Christmas, and the dreaming would commence.
Now that I am older, I enjoy holiday traditions like watching classic Christmas movies like Die Hard and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. But my absolute favorite is It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. It will always be my favorite Christmas movie because it is a movie of second chances and about never giving up no matter how dark the hole, we find ourselves in. My favorite Christmas food is tamales or ham and yams. I enjoy Christmas music, and it wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas service at church. What are your Christmas traditions? Will you create new traditions or stick with time-honored family traditions? This is Will B. saying, merry Christmas, and remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season!