Christmas spirit decided by us
Merry Christmas and happy new year. May this be a joyous time for you and your family as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God on Earth. We decorated our home to express our joy that God so loved the world that he sent his Son.
Some folks say Christmas is not like it used to be. There is no Christmas spirit.
The Christmas spirit of the past that we fondly remember came from within the people of the past, not from some outside stimulus. We decide how important the celebration is.
We decide if it is spiritual or just gifts and pretty lights. We decide to keep or not keep the ethnic traditions or our own traditions that we’ve enjoyed through the years. Years later, how will you remember this Christmas?
We decide whether we go to church and be inspired by the special Masses or services celebrated at this time of year. We decide if our family gatherings for the holidays are little more than another excuse to get the Christmas “spirit” from a bottle, via one form of alcohol or another; or some other mind-altering substance like pot.
We decide if we are so insecure, or discouraged, or depressed that we need to alter our brains to relax and have fun at a party or gathering.
Life is what we make it. No one can make any of us happy, nor can any artificial stimulus. As Abraham Lincoln supposedly said, “I’ve found that most people are as happy as they make up their mind to be.”
Once the holidays are over, will you and I be better, stronger persons, people with the courage to openly express our faith, and refocus our lives? Will we have more or less compassion, or just a hangover?
The choice is yours and mine.
Bob Logue is a resident of Fairbank.