A Simple Reason for the Season

     I'd like to wish you a Happy, Merry Hana-kwanza-mas!  I mean... Merry, Happy Christ-anza-annukah... or is it Happy and Merry Kwan-annukah-mas?  Gosh, I get so confused this time of year.

     On the brink of Christmas Eve, people all over the world rush to the shopping malls, dining halls, and local churches.  Men who haven't seen the inside of a Macy's in 364 days brave a unique retail hell.  Women with online printouts of power tools and propane grills storm the local hardware stores (perhaps for the first time in 364 days).  Children await neatly wrapped gifts... perhaps even counting them as they begin to appear under the tree.  The nuclear family (though that be rare) chases the ghost of Christmas past... cherishing memories of old, fusing them with traditions of new, and trying ever-so-strongly to maintain a budget.

     With a conglomeration of holidays taking place within November and December, the time of year embodies more than a simple holiday celebration... it becomes its own SEASON.  The interplay between commerce and celebration strengthen.  The line between sensibility and sentimentality blend... creating a unique Seasonal spirit.  Such a spirit emboldens fiscal inhibition, dietary liberalism, and overt materialism... add a dash of religion, a splash of tradition, and a sprinkle of fiction for good measure.  A season creates its own spirit... a spirit so intoxicating that in its wake leaves individuals poorer fiscally, physically, and emotionally.  A type of "Holiday Blues" overcome avid holiday participants, often inspiring lofty New Year's resolutions and ambitious savings plans.

      I don't mean to downplay the good things that occur during the holidays... the moments that inspire miracles... the amount of goodwill and cheer that such seasonal spirit naturally promotes.  For each gift received is a gift given by someone.  For each card written with love is a heart warmed by reading such  loving words.  Conspicuous and inconspicuous acts of good friendship abound during the holidays.

     But what is everything else?  What do reindeer, chocolate-covered marshmallow snowmen, and grinches have in common?  Where is the polar express going and where did Christmas trees come from?  Ornaments, wreaths, outdoor/indoor lighting, inflatable lawn decorations, seasonal cards... a holiday for Christians, Jews, and Africans... a holiday for Pilgrims and Indians... a holiday for restoring motivation and goal-orientation... gifts and food... food then gifts... an occasional religious experience followed by gifts and food.

     During this tumultuous season, whereby the gravity of its spirit seems to suck everyone into a bizarre parallel dimension of goodwill and retail crankiness, I hope that we can all take a moment to focus our energies on something important.  Not in religious superiority, retail condescension, or vague apathy... but in REAL observation and respect for the magnitude of such seasonal abnormality.

     Perhaps we should all take a moment on this Christmas Eve to set aside the cookies, forget about a fat, white-bearded man dressed in a tight red onesie, and establish a simple reason for the season.  Free from commercial advertisement, fiscal stress, and Martha Stewart-esque interior design... a clearly crafted expression of our seasonal sentiments.  Lest we submit to lunacy, this... this crafted expression becomes the simple reason for our departure from normalcy.  To some, an establishment of tradition, religion, or pure commercialism.  To many others, a sobering calibration of true and nobel intentions to preserve notional values from a beautiful sacrifice and its consequential transformation of a spiritual worldview.

     Whatever your reason this season, keep it short and sweet.  For me this season, I assert simply... Inspire good and abide good faith (and avoid those extra sweets!).