Merry Merry!

It is December first and here we are again.  For the next 25 days I will be posting my version of Christmas memories, thoughts, recipes, observations, rants and raves.  As always, the only reason I do this is because it amuses me.  

Now having said that I find I am lost at what to say.  It seems like thanksgiving was only a few days ago. Most likely because it was. What are you doing to get ready for Christmas?  Are you decorating your home? Preparing for the Advent? Listening to Christmas music?

Today I am getting ready for Denver’s Red Ball in honor of World Aids Day.  This event is a hair and fashion show/cocktail party put on by the Colorado Aids Project.  I am hoping that tonight’s over the top event puts me in a holiday mood. Fire jugglers and half dressed acrobats suspended from silk ropes are festive right?

That is sort of my point today.  What puts you in a festive mood for the season?  A certain song?  Certain movies? Particular bible verses?  Eggnog? Fudge?  Right now I am feeling that you should embrace that.  Unless it is ugly Christmas sweaters, don’t embrace that. 

Ok scratch that, if you love ugly sweaters and that is what it takes to make you happy then do that.  I’ll just roll my eyes behind your back.  But seriously thought, today I feel like people should be ok embracing what they love about the season to make themselves happy, proved it doesn’t hurt other people.

Speaking of hurting other people. . .Is it possible, just maybe, to not go around hating and bashing on people who love other parts of the holiday season?  This is hard for me, because of the thing where people annoy me.  But honestly, I get tired of the hate that goes on because people say happy holidays instead of merry Christmas, or who embrace the myth of Santa instead of focusing on the advent.  Do we think maybe this year we can let that whole thing go?

I don’t know about you, but I am raising two sons, and I am proud of who they are growing up to be.  What I want to instill in them is kindness and love and acceptance.   Clearly not everyone shares my faith, but if I go around harassing people who do things differently than me, or being offended by people who disagree with me, what does that teach them?

So my wish for you this year is to embrace what you love, and accept that other people are going to embrace other things.  And maybe, just maybe we can find a way to embrace each other.