Christmas

This post from two years ago still seems appropriate today. We have just finished morning gift opening. Each year there are less presents and significantly less waste (wrapping paper, package containers, etc) than the previous year. The joy is in seeing the four kids buy better and more thoughtful gifts for each other and in some cases use their own Christmas gift money to pay for gifts for their siblings. With three of them going to Christmas Eve church service last night , I think that they are all learning the many meanings of Christmas. 
​Merry Christmas to all.

December 25, 2017

​Wishing a peaceful and warm Christmas to everyone. To those to whom I in recent years sent Christmas cards my apologies. This Facebook wish for a merry Christmas is as good as it gets. I once enjoyed sending the Christmas cards with family photos but now the kids have stopped being cute and some don’t even want to cooperate in having their photo taken. Eventually when they are older we will have photos from their police files but that doesn’t help now😉
There are two christmases to celebrate. The first is the secular and cultural one in which we celebrate family, loved ones and generosity. The second is the spiritual in which we celebrate the meaning of Christ’s birth however we may interpret it. I have always focused on the story of the birth of a special infant as a story of hope and a fresh start whether it be for a people, the world or me as a person. An opportunity to move forward in love and try to be that which I have not so far accomplished. Whatever your belief in a god or no god we can all take the opportunity happily of a fresh start.
Merry Christmas to you and those you love!