Christmas Brings Out the Best in Us
You just gotta love Christmas. It brings out the best in us. We feel inclined to spread good will among men. We are likely to give to those less fortunate and shower family, friends and loved ones with cards,
No other time of the year is focused on making dreams come true, especially for the young (and the young of heart).
Christmas Love
If you have an inkling to love, the increased love or the season will infiltrate all life’s circumstances around you and you will feel a tendency to love more, with more passion than other times of the year.
Seeing the anticipation and tears of joy in a child’s eyes when opening a gift wished for fills the heart in so many ways.
Christmas Brings Out the Worst in Us
Christmastime also imposes an incredible amount of pressure on individuals and families around the holiday season. We might find ourselves battling the crowds in an effort to find that perfect gift (and may be willing to battle it out with another shopper for the last one in the process). While we are s[reading good will, we may find ourselves cussing out someone for taking the parking spot we intended on getting for ourselves.
Christmas can be used as a disciplinary weapon against our children, because, after all, Santa knows who’s been bad or good. And if you’ve been bad, you will receive no present from Santa Claus. (Ugh.)
Christmas Crime
In an effort to make sure everyone has a good Christmas, criminals are not on their best behaviors as they take advantage of Christmas celebrators who are less security conscious during the holidays will see increased rates of theft and burglary.
Interestingly enough, the pressure, stress and strain finds individuals challenged and at odds with those around them, leading to increases in assaults and domestic violence.
Christmas Is Offensive
Christmas is an American tradition based on Christianity. In early American culture Christianity may have been the predominant religion, and the benefit to retailers at the end of the year is priceless.
Since then, America has become much more diverse and people represented by other religions don’t get it. And even among the Christian religions, some find the commercialization of the holiday and the inclusion of Santa Claus offensive, with some refusing to celebrate at all.
Christmas Is Depressing
The holidays increase the load on mental health resources, more than any other time of year as we tend to be more lonely, blue, depressed and maybe even suicidal at Christmastime.
What’s the Christmas Answer?
I am not the political or religious person who could even offer a solution. Christmas is a messy subject in America. This tried and true American tradition has become such a cluster of chaos and confusion, I cannot imagine a suitable solution.
Fortunately, I personally don’t have any issues with the holiday, myself. I enjoy celebrating the birth of Christ and embrace the idea of Sending Love to the World during the holiday season in an effort to help mitigate the negative energy associated with the season.
If you feel differently, I honor you and your right to celebrate or not and I offer you my sincerest apologies for this holiday which has unfortunately gotten out of control.