Still Stuck on Christmas

Blog post # 35 of 365

I love Christmas.

I don't love the "give me" society we've become. But the little acts of kindness. the box of gifts left on my niece's porch on what would have been a very slim Christmas or all of the people who purchase a gift for an angel tree or those who serve a hot meal to the homeless. All of those little miracles that mean nothing to most but those that I notice and when I can participate in.

I love the extra effort. Finding the right gift for the right people. I love making and receiving homemade goodies. I love delivering them to my neighbors and friends. 

I don't love the commercialism involved but to be honest the commercialism is generally good for the economy provided people spend but stay out of debt.

A few more thoughts on commercialism at Christmas.

My son gives me the best Christmas cards. This years was especially fun. Read on.

Though the weather outside is frightful, marking territory's so delightful.
There's no limit to where I can go, yellow snow! Yellow snow! Yellow snow!
Written on the back was this -
*Whiz you a Merry Christmas!

He makes me laugh and gets me!

So was it the commercialism that led someone to make that card? To a certain degree probably. Would my son have thought of it on his own and hand made me a card? Probably not. Did I love the card? Absolutely.

I was looking around the neighborhood last night. The holiday has passed and most of the decorations will not come down until the weekend or next week sometime or maybe longer. (I have some very festive neighbors.) Are all of those lights and giant air filled figures commercialism too? Probably to a certain extent anyway but I have to tell you I would totally miss them if my neighbors didn't put them up. One usually fast decorator was slower this year and for a moment I thought I wonder if he is okay or if he was going to quit decorating. Selfishly I like them. I don't put up lights, partially because I don't trust the electrical in this very old house but also because physically I really can't. I do appreciate those that do even more because of those things.

Would God appreciate the air blown giant nativity or the cheesy plastic light up creches that pop up this time of year? I'd like to think he does. I'd like to believe he wants us to remember Him in any way we can. If we share publicly on our lawns are we spreading the message to remember why we celebrate the season? I think God may be okay with commercialism. I think He wants us to remember Him any way we choose. I think He loves us even when we forget to love Him.

I can be pretty bah hum bug at times around Christmas. There have been some pretty bad memories tied to Christmas that never seem to just go away. I'm guessing that is why I feel okay with a little bah hum bug this time of year. My commercialism filled neighborhood take a little of that bah humbug away. They help make me happy and I'm grateful for that.