Year after year I notice...
There are two peculiar things that happen every year about this time.
The first is a strange phenomenon of time. The 25th of December comes around every year right on schedule but it always seems to get here sooner than expected. Time appears to speed up starting in November and increases as we move into December. No matter how carefully we plan, everything gets knocked asunder by the unexpected – sick kids, crunch projects at work, auto and appliance breakdowns, and countless other unanticipated events. And suddenly the 25th is on top of us and we can’t figure out how it got here so fast.
Still, in spite of the rush and bustle, this is my favorite time of year. People seem kinder to each other. There are more smiles passed around. Everywhere you look, you see little faces shining with excitement.
The second peculiar thing is a behavioral phenomenon. People complain about the commercialization of Christmas and there is much evidence in stores and excessive advertising in print and on TV to back up these complaints. But it seems strange that so many of us seem to think we have to buy into this just because the retailers are selling it. When it comes to the rest of our lives, most of us are pretty vocal when others try to boss us around and tell us what we “should‿ or “have to‿ do. For some unfathomable reason, we react differently to this particular “should‿ as we rush to join the buying frenzy.
It might be interesting to see the result if all the people who object to the commercialization of Christmas, just made the choice not to be a part of it. What if they chose to celebrate the season with gifts of their time and energy -- doing things for others, making things using the skills and talents they have been gifted with, and spending time with family and friends? My guess is, it would increase the kindness, the smiles, and the shinning faces in our world.
I wish all of you a kinder, gentler Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate during this season of brotherhood and peace.