The Mind of Mr. M

I think that every Christmas I tend to get into a little bit of a funk.  Christmas time was always difficult for me as a child growing up.  I think it was mostly because we celebrated Christmas, but the focus was on Santa, the gifts and tangible things.   Because of that there was always pressure put on my mom and dad to put together Christmas on a tight budget and if they couldn’t do it, it was depressing.  I can remember a few Christmas Eve’s sitting next to a tearful mother, assuring her that it would all be ok.

I truly think that Christmas would have been different for all of us if we could have focused more outside of our family during the “holidays”. Now, I know that there are people of many different faiths.  I realize that to many Christmas is the time when Father Christmas visits each boy and girl that was good and brings them gifts.  I also know that there is a larger group that believes that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. I fall into the latter now, but the first group is where I grew up. My honest opinion is that regardless of what spurs you into celebrating Christmas, being gift centric is not necessarily the best way to show you appreciation for the holiday.

I think that Christmas should be a time to think about your influence in the world around you.  When you think about the birth of Jesus Christ, it wasn’t just His being born that was important.  It was ultimately His life and desire to serve that led Him to His spot in history and for those that believe His role as Savior. For those that encourage the belief in Santa Claus, his service and kindness is also what perpetuate his story throughout generations.  There are so many other stories behind the celebration of the Christmas season, but ultimately, the way the holiday plays out is up to us and what we do with it.

I encourage those of all different beliefs and faiths to look for the opportunity to look around you and find ways to help those less fortunate, those that could use a lift, a smile or even just a kind word. 

Have a Very Merry Christmas!