It's Christmas

For the last twenty or so years, our family has celebrated Christmas on or around Christmas Day. We have a shot gun approach. If we land somewhere in the latter part of December and before New Years, we were good.

Families make this necessary. Children and grandchildren off and involved. Responsibilities that keep one away from home or homebound. It is a part of a growing and expanding family. One cannot be shortsighted or selfish enough to require it to be just on the 25th. I have been surprised at how many couples could never get this simple concept.

So, they squandered their holiday with unpleasant relatives or demanding parents. They found themselves getting depressed and dreading holidays. The easiest money I ever earned was suggesting they dynamite those folks off of "their" Christmas Day celebration. And what joy began to shine on their faces when they realized they could give themselves permission to reserve a good day for a good gathering with folks they enjoyed.

My basic philosophy in life is that disagreeable people should be left alone to savor their own misery. They refuse to enjoy life and they should not be permitted to drag others into their swamp. Just because they are family does not give them an entitlement to continue to ruin our lives. I have the joy of being a part of a joyful family all of whom I enjoy spending time and holidays with. Sadly, others cannot say that about their family. So, I encourage to push those folks to the periphery of their holiday celebration. They are not to be neglected--although it would fit into their mold of misery. The more miserable and difficult they are, the further the gathering is from Christmas.

But we have also learned that as important as family time is, Christmas is really about receiving the renewing gift of the love of God in Jesus Christ, and reproducing such love and giving in an impoverished world of pain and grief. So, over the years our tree has had fewer gifts under it for ourselves and more gifts given to others who were not family.

This year, our church, missionaries, Salvation Army, and a little girl whose father is in prison, and a family our Sunday School class was helping will get our giving. There is also a gift for my mom who has instilled in our family a tenacity of spirit, a durable faith, and a love of laughter. And it goes without saying that there is something for our youngest child at home, and our grandchildren.

Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year.