Standing Alone

Today is Christmas, and for me it comes as a relief. Unlike most, I declined to fully participate in this holiday that has long ago lost it's true meaning and instead turned into a commercialized celebration of how much "stuff" you can buy.

It began the morning after Halloween. I turned on the television to catch the local weather and I heard it. Christmas music. It was a commercial for something and I instantly felt appalled by it. The craziness was beginning.

The next few weeks it intensified until you could barely escape it. Buy buy buy. I chose not to.

Is this really what Christmas has turned into?

I guess it has been going this way for years. This year there were the stories of secret Santas doing good for others which is always heartwarming but honestly when someone is paying off a layaway so a "poor" family can have Christmas what does that say about priorities?

I am not a practicing Christian (many who make themselves crazy this time of year are not either) so it is easy to scale back on the holiday. To me, it is a day that we get to spend together.

I have been "poor" where I did not even have a home to call my own. Through the kindness of others I was able to throw together a Christmas with my children. It didn't involve me being able to pay off a layaway; I was able to share a meal with them.

The other day I read about someone's "worst" Christmas ever. It had something to do with overcooking vegetables and "ruining" Christmas dinner. REALLY? If that was the worst thing that ever happened to you then consider yourself lucky.

Seriously? Your vegetables were overcooked? Wow.

I think being homeless for Christmas trumps that.