Today brings us ever closer to the Christmas holiday and my thoughts turn to family, friends, and life in general. My fervent wish for this season would be a return to the Christmas seasons of my youth, back in the olden days. It was truly a magical season back then, and all those days seem to be but a very precious memory.
The Christmas holiday for some time now has seemed more commercial than a holiday of faith, religious observance, and love of family & friends. The stores start their Christmas sales and advertisements the day after Thanksgiving and in some years this marketing begins just after the Halloween holiday.
Why?
How did things turn so commercial for a season that was identified for so many years as a reflective and faithful celebration? At my advanced age, I can still remember when the gift giving aspects of the Christmas season was focused on the kiddos receiving presents from Santa and mom and dad, and the big deal for us kids was the appearance of the Christmas TREE! Lots of decorations to place on that tree, faith items to display around the house and then the first lighting of the tree’s decoration lights. And also, the big deal for the season was that we all went to Christmas service at whatever church of whatever faith we all subscribed to. Of course, for my siblings and myself, getting all “gussied up” in dressy clothes was not a thrill because we had to be extra careful not to get them dirty, so we had to be quiet and still.
But, between the gifts, the great meal, and lots of family members around, this was a time of joy and comfort for all of us. I can still remember my mom, dad and other family members gathering at our house, my grandparents’ house or some other family member’s house for renewal, lots of great food, and happy times. Almost all of those folks are gone now, and out of five brothers and three sisters, there are only two sisters and me remaining. And since those two siblings live all the way on the other side of our great country, there is no chance to “gather together” with them anymore.
BUT we now have our own family unit with my son, Cliff, his wife Becky. our four granddaughters, Abby, Becca, Hattie and Cammie, along with my daughter, Kurby and their mother Phyllis, to have a gathering of family with myself and my wonderful wife, Charlotte.
So, come the 24th day of this month of December, (my son, my daughter in law and their kids spend Christmas Day with the Becky’s family), my wife and I will arise at a very early hour, while still very dark outside and feed our two senior kitties, we will then load some simple gifts, a batch of freshly baked cookies and ourselves into our car and make the drive up to Kurby’s home in Ashburn, Northern Virginia from our home in the Hampton Roads area of Southeastern Virginia to spend this special time with our family. Believe me, I am really looking forward to this holiday visit.
Come on folks, we are quickly approaching the season of faith, from the observance of Christmas, of Hannukah, of Now Ruz, and of Kwanza. Let us all remember what these holiday observances truly mean, renewal of our faith, and a rededication to a love of mankind. If we cannot recapture the “good will toward man” to some viable degree, then we may truly be lost as a species. I frankly refuse to believe that is our situation.
Time for us all to remember those halcyon days of yore. When we all gathered around the house, shared gifts, some of monetary worth, but most of love and compassion.
It is the season of faith renewal, whether one is a religious person, a person of faith, a person of agnostic belief, or a person who is atheistic. Time to set aside our hate, our disdain, and our division; let’s remember that this time of year is all about hope, love and renewal.
Sadly, one observance by this old man regarding the religions in our nation and most likely in many nations around the world, is that people are moving away from religion as currently practiced in many of our organized churches. Sadly, the once large church congregations are shrinking year by year. In many, many cases one only needs to look at two aspects of modern religious practices, at least in this nation, to understand the apparent departure of so many people from organized religion.
First, of course, is the obscene display of exceptional wealth by some religion practitioners. The huge houses, the expensive cars and in many cases the private airplanes while their membership rely on much less in possessions and money are a real turn off by people of modest means who are exhorted by these wealthy preachers to give more and more of their hard-earned incomes.
The second apparent cause for the departure of people from the organized religious church facilities is the growing influences of these so-called preachers of some religions injecting themselves and their congregational membership into the political aspects of our nation. There is a good reason why religion and politics/governance should remain clearly separate and the actions over the past few years are perfect examples of this reason.
There are other countries in our world, that are ruled by a religion dominated government and all of them, without exception are bound by religious strictures imposed by the religious leaders, against the individual rights of their citizens. One simply has to look to the countries in the Middle East, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, among others in this part of the world. Simply consider the recent instance in Iran where a young girl was beaten to death by the Iranian Government’s Religious/Morality Police! Her horrible crime? She allowed some of her hair to be seen outside of her chador or head and body scarf in a violation of that theocratic society moral stricture about the cover of a female’s hair. As one who has lived in these middle eastern countries as an expatriate consultant, I observed this situation firsthand and hope mightily to NEVER see this aspect in our United States of America society.
Frankly, I believe very strongly that religion and religious practices should remain within the church community and far, far away from any involvement with government and politics, and the same thing with government from religion! However, one can take heart in the fact that there are still many religious faith groups that do not presume to be the end all for societal mores, political influence, and individual rights. This is my thankful attitude, we still have some religious groups that believe their charge is to help guide in faith, to guide not demand.
So in this coming holiday season, try to renew your faith, renew your love of all mankind, and renew your gratefulness for family, friends, and home.
As one who is still a faithful person, I wish you all a very happy holiday season, for my Christian friends and family, a Merry Christmas, for my diverse friends a happy Hannukah, Now Ruz, Kwanza, and Good Tidings to those of no religious faith. May your holiday be pleasing, and your new year be better than before.
And from Harvey, Charlotte, Duchess the elderly cat and Penny the senior cat;
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, and oh by golly have a Hap Hap Happy New Year!
Misty Lady Thought and Comment 