Struggling with Christmas

[gdiggs]

I haven't 'celebrated' Christmas for about 18 years. About the only thing it means to me is that it's just another day when the library is closed. Admittedly it has been easier for me to avoid that it seems for most folks. I am an only child with no children of my own, my parents aren't that concerned with the whole deal and are kind of the black sheep of my extended family. I went to a couple of family dinners with my previous girlfriend which were nice, but for the sake of argument lets not count them.

The crass commercialization is one aspect I think we can all agree on. I find the societal pressure to rabidly consume and the indoctrination of children into this process utterly disgusting. The other huge aspect of Christmas I find highly problematic is the hypocrisy of the goodwill. People say that it is a time for families to come together, that giving is more important than receiving, peace on earth and goodwill to mankind, and so on. These are all fine and wonderful things to be sure, but what about on the other 364 days of the year?

If you want to give somebody a gift, then just give them a gift. Don't wait for this one day of the year when it feels like a moral obligation. We shouldn't have to be told when we should come together with those we love. As it is, there seems to be so many people who come together at Christmas who don't really want to be together leading to the arguments, the righteously abandoned dinners, the slammed doors, tears and recriminations.

I appreciate that we all are busy people and sometimes live far apart from those we care about and it can be difficult getting to each other but I see this more as a problem in how we organize our society. Trying to fix it with Christmas obligations is like putting a Band-aid on a broken arm.

If folks want to celebrate I have no problem with that at all, I don't feel a Grinch about the whole thing. It just means very little to me and all I ask is that my opting out be respected. In general, though, I would like to see less of Christmas and more of trying to be more decent human beings throughout the rest of the year.

Falalala lala la la

[1inMany]

Providence, that was absolutely and positively beautiful. I cannot imagine you wishing to pour your heart out more poetically, as it was poetry to me. Since I'm new around here, maybe that sounds weird, but I can't help it.

Just for the sake of different perspectives, maybe you'll appreciate this one I was raised believing Christmas was a terrible, horrible atrocity. We NEVER celebrated it. Not once. Until my parents divorced, that is. My mom married someone who had the "normal" western Christmas background, and Santa came for the first time when I was probably 12. Duh, of course I did not believe there actually was a Santa that just all-of-a-sudden decided to visit my house after 12 years. But, that year my mom took us shopping in downtown Cleveland Ohio, and I saw twinkly lights everywhere, and spits of snow turned into feet. And there was music playing everywhere, the melodies were simple and catchy and I could at least hum along after hearing them once. By the second or third time I heard them, I was happy to sing in public and not even care what anyone else thought. People were bustling, but no one was swearing and shaking fists at each other (apparently there were no good sales). And the best part - the absolute best part - was that we were picking out gifts for everyone we cared about. We were thinking about what we loved about each person, and what they would love to be surprised with. And at every chance, we threw change into the buckets.

Truly, I am certain someone could tear that story and that experience into a hundred separate examples of commercialism. But I don't care It felt wonderful to watch people smile at each other and say please and thank you...and wish each other the best holiday...and it felt wonderful to me to watch people give to each other...and care for each other in a way I had never seen before.

That's the magic of Christmas for me. And when everyone else grumbles and groans and complains and even gets angry that Christmas decorations come out at Halloween these days, I always get excited that it's time! It's time for people to be like they are supposed to be.

My children have been taught to live like this always. Oh, they are human and have (many, many) moments. But Christmas is a time that we are reminded (at my house) that ... if you haven't been humming, you'd better start. If you have forgotten how to make homemade cookies, you'd better pull out an actual recipe and remember. And, if you have gotten too busy to smile at someone...better slow it down a notch And, if you have not felt the joy of giving from your heart, you better remember what it means to be a part of humankind.

[Dawn]

I was raised in a family that was long on creativity and short on money. We were not Christians but we were very spiritual and believed in the sacredness of life in all its forms. We hand-made all our Christmas presents for each other. We started making them early, about February each year, so there would be time to complete them. Part of the fun was intently observing everyone on my Christmas list to see or hear about what they might want that I could somehow create. We made sweaters, scarves, building blocks that could be put together into walk-in club houses, tea from wild herbs, special jam from secret summer harvests, gift certificates good for one house cleaning or some other chore that would free up our giftee from something they would like to get out of, oil paintings, table mats and on and on.

We also had a special fire a couple of times just before Christmas where special wax was added to the flames to make them turn colors while we strung popcorn or cranberries for the tree and sang carols.

We hand made all of our own wrapping paper from plain paper bags, or rolls of butcher wrap. When I was little we used potatoes cut into shapes, and dipped in poster paint, to make patterns on the paper. After age 11 I hand painted snow scenes on all the presents I gave out and attached hard to guess poems that contained hints to each package. Once, when I went to the home of a friend I found his parents had my Christmas wrapping paper picture framed and hung in their living room.

We also sang carols around the neighborhood, a tradition that I kept up each year until about 7 years ago when I moved and my daughter left home.

We did all of these things ... and we were never Christian.

It is OK with me that others choose commercialism, avoid learning the truth about political power, and avoid facing how truly awful things are. It is apparently not their path in this life at this moment to do that, otherwise they would. I do not expect others to do what I do these days ( I would be so very deeply unhappy if I did ). I just pay attention to how much joy and love I can create within myself. And I just shower everyone I meet with as much love and joy as possible , 365 days of the year.

I am not sure a big change is coming, despite what I've read and heard. I am sure, however that the way I am going to get to the future I want is by enjoying what is here for me right now.

[Kindling]

But Christmas is a time that we are reminded (at my house) that ... if you haven't been humming, you'd better start. If you have forgotten how to make homemade cookies, you'd better pull out an actual recipe and remember. And, if you have gotten too busy to smile at someone...better slow it down a notch And, if you have not felt the joy of giving from your heart, you better remember what it means to be a part of humankind

I am not sure a big change is coming, despite what I've read and heard. I am sure, however that the way I am going to get to the future I want is by enjoying what is here for me right now.

1inMany and Dawn, thanks, love your posts :-)

Oops, messed up those quotes, but loved what you both said and wanted to let you know.

Mod edit: that's OK.. I fixed the quote boxes for you.... Dawn, mod in training

[Providence]

Posted by gdiggs (here)
I haven't 'celebrated' Christmas for about 18 years. About the only thing it means to me is that it's just another day when the library is closed. Admittedly it has been easier for me to avoid that it seems for most folks. I am an only child with no children of my own, my parents aren't that concerned with the whole deal and are kind of the black sheep of my extended family. I went to a couple of family dinners with my previous girlfriend which were nice, but for the sake of argument lets not count them.

The crass commercialization is one aspect I think we can all agree on. I find the societal pressure to rabidly consume and the indoctrination of children into this process utterly disgusting. The other huge aspect of Christmas I find highly problematic is the hypocrisy of the goodwill. People say that it is a time for families to come together, that giving is more important than receiving, peace on earth and goodwill to mankind, and so on. These are all fine and wonderful things to be sure, but what about on the other 364 days of the year?

If you want to give somebody a gift, then just give them a gift. Don't wait for this one day of the year when it feels like a moral obligation. We shouldn't have to be told when we should come together with those we love. As it is, there seems to be so many people who come together at Christmas who don't really want to be together leading to the arguments, the righteously abandoned dinners, the slammed doors, tears and recriminations.

I appreciate that we all are busy people and sometimes live far apart from those we care about and it can be difficult getting to each other but I see this more as a problem in how we organize our society. Trying to fix it with Christmas obligations is like putting a Band-aid on a broken arm.

If folks want to celebrate I have no problem with that at all, I don't feel a Grinch about the whole thing. It just means very little to me and all I ask is that my opting out be respected. In general, though, I would like to see less of Christmas and more of trying to be more decent human beings throughout the rest of the year.

Falalala lala la la

Thank you gdiggs!

I too get disgusted with the

...societal pressure to rabidly consume and the indoctrination of children...

, I think that is one of the main "straws that broke the camel's back' for me. Very interesting perspective my friend, thank you for sharing!

[Providence]

Posted by 1inMany (here)
Providence, that was absolutely and positively beautiful. I cannot imagine you wishing to pour your heart out more poetically, as it was poetry to me. Since I'm new around here, maybe that sounds weird, but I can't help it.

Just for the sake of different perspectives, maybe you'll appreciate this one I was raised believing Christmas was a terrible, horrible atrocity. We NEVER celebrated it. Not once. Until my parents divorced, that is. My mom married someone who had the "normal" western Christmas background, and Santa came for the first time when I was probably 12. Duh, of course I did not believe there actually was a Santa that just all-of-a-sudden decided to visit my house after 12 years. But, that year my mom took us shopping in downtown Cleveland Ohio, and I saw twinkly lights everywhere, and spits of snow turned into feet. And there was music playing everywhere, the melodies were simple and catchy and I could at least hum along after hearing them once. By the second or third time I heard them, I was happy to sing in public and not even care what anyone else thought. People were bustling, but no one was swearing and shaking fists at each other (apparently there were no good sales). And the best part - the absolute best part - was that we were picking out gifts for everyone we cared about. We were thinking about what we loved about each person, and what they would love to be surprised with. And at every chance, we threw change into the buckets.

Truly, I am certain someone could tear that story and that experience into a hundred separate examples of commercialism. But I don't care It felt wonderful to watch people smile at each other and say please and thank you...and wish each other the best holiday...and it felt wonderful to me to watch people give to each other...and care for each other in a way I had never seen before.

That's the magic of Christmas for me. And when everyone else grumbles and groans and complains and even gets angry that Christmas decorations come out at Halloween these days, I always get excited that it's time! It's time for people to be like they are supposed to be.

My children have been taught to live like this always. Oh, they are human and have (many, many) moments. But Christmas is a time that we are reminded (at my house) that ... if you haven't been humming, you'd better start. If you have forgotten how to make homemade cookies, you'd better pull out an actual recipe and remember. And, if you have gotten too busy to smile at someone...better slow it down a notch And, if you have not felt the joy of giving from your heart, you better remember what it means to be a part of humankind.

Thank you 1inMany!

A wonderful story, I truly enjoyed the stroll through the memories of this time with you, thank you for sharing. I really can identify with your past, as I have always been someone that loved holidays and celebrations. I would decorate the house every year with more and more lights, hang a huge handmade wreath on the side of the house, lighted of course, and expand my lighted artistic expressions of Christmas every year with fanciful new additions in an effort to create my own winter wonderland of sorts.

I hope everyone understands that I am not necessarily trying to eliminate Christmas, but trying to find a way to bring it back to center. I know the commercialism of Christmas has been going on for many years, but I think in the recent past that it has become excessive and has finally overwhelmed the beautiful things that made Christmastime a time of year that everyone enjoyed from the humanity aspect. Yes, there are a lot of people, shoppers especially, who still express their good will during this season, but I see less and less of this as time goes on. And that is my point. You and I have great memories of the past, when Christmas brought out the humanity in us all, but that humanity is quickly being stripped away and the energy redirected into a profit based approach to selling more products. We are better than this, and if we don't take a stand and pull it back to center, we will lose another small piece of our exercise in humanity.

[Providence]

Posted by Dawn (here)
I was raised in a family that was long on creativity and short on money. We were not Christians but we were very spiritual and believed in the sacredness of life in all its forms. We hand-made all our Christmas presents for each other. We started making them early, about February each year, so there would be time to complete them. Part of the fun was intently observing everyone on my Christmas list to see or hear about what they might want that I could somehow create. We made sweaters, scarves, building blocks that could be put together into walk-in club houses, tea from wild herbs, special jam from secret summer harvests, gift certificates good for one house cleaning or some other chore that would free up our giftee from something they would like to get out of, oil paintings, table mats and on and on.

We also had a special fire a couple of times just before Christmas where special wax was added to the flames to make them turn colors while we strung popcorn or cranberries for the tree and sang carols.

We hand made all of our own wrapping paper from plain paper bags, or rolls of butcher wrap. When I was little we used potatoes cut into shapes, and dipped in poster paint, to make patterns on the paper. After age 11 I hand painted snow scenes on all the presents I gave out and attached hard to guess poems that contained hints to each package. Once, when I went to the home of a friend I found his parents had my Christmas wrapping paper picture framed and hung in their living room.

We also sang carols around the neighborhood, a tradition that I kept up each year until about 7 years ago when I moved and my daughter left home.

We did all of these things ... and we were never Christian.

It is OK with me that others choose commercialism, avoid learning the truth about political power, and avoid facing how truly awful things are. It is apparently not their path in this life at this moment to do that, otherwise they would. I do not expect others to do what I do these days ( I would be so very deeply unhappy if I did ). I just pay attention to how much joy and love I can create within myself. And I just shower everyone I meet with as much love and joy as possible , 365 days of the year.

I am not sure a big change is coming, despite what I've read and heard. I am sure, however that the way I am going to get to the future I want is by enjoying what is here for me right now.

Thank you Dawn! Such a wonderful expression of what Christmas was intended to be. I do hope that a change is on the horizon, one that brings humanity back to a base level of love and understanding and away from the infectious elements that now degrade the human potential of the season. Thanks again for sharing your memories!

[1inMany]

Just wanted to leave a note of reassurance, lol, that I did not pick anything up from your post(s) that would indicate you wish Christmas was eliminated. What I personally understood is that you are standing back looking at it from where you are at this moment. I'm glad you enjoyed my little stroll down memory lane. But I know that just because I feel this way doesn't mean anyone else does Just wanted to share my perspective. The way I see it is that when I quit enjoying holidays in general, I'll quit celebrating them or giving them any type of rememberance. There's nothing wrong with walking away from something you quit enjoying. In fact, I suppose that is sort of the point, isn't it? Part of personal growth is discerning and discarding old ways of thinking that no longer fit with who you are.

[NeverMind]

People who moan that it's become commercialised are themselves implicitly telling you that they are the ones who see - or appreciate - mostly the outward appearance of Christmas festivities. To each their own, but that is not what Christmas is, or ever was, about. If you carry it inside, no amount of blaring Jingle Bells will put you off, because it simply does not matter.

Accept it for what it is: a time, a date, that reminds us of the role of unconditional love and openness - of their triumph over fear and despair.
That is a truth that abides forever.

People might be a lot happier if instead of watching "Christmas" films for the umpteenth time they's simply open the New Testament and read this:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets.




So, regardless of your faith or lack thereof - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" - MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all.

[Providence]

Posted by NeverMind (here)
People who moan that it's become commercialised are themselves implicitly telling you that they are the ones who see - or appreciate - mostly the outward appearance of Christmas festivities. To each their own, but that is not what Christmas is, or ever was, about. If you carry it inside, no amount of blaring Jingle Bells will put you off, because it simply does not matter.

Accept it for what it is: a time, a date, that reminds us of the role of unconditional love and openness - of their triumph over fear and despair.
That is a truth that abides forever.

People might be a lot happier if instead of watching "Christmas" films for the umpteenth time they's simply open the New Testament and read this:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets.

http://www.lifeofchrist.com/teaching...nt/default.asp


So, regardless of your faith or lack thereof - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" - MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all.

Thank you NeverMind for your perspective, and you are correct when you say "to each their own".

Christmas is a Christian holiday, a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The giving of gifts symbolizes the gifts of the three wise men and a celebration of Jesus' birth. All of the symbolism we see this time of year, baby Jesus, the manger, Mary and Joseph, the star of Bethlehem, the three wise men, etc. are the bulwarks of the Christian's acceptance and faith in the biblical account of Christ's life. That is undeniable, and yet it is only explicitly accepted as truth by those who hold a truly Christian perspective.

It is much easier to find solutions to the basis and intent of the Christmas holiday when hold exclusive beliefs in the Christian faith. It is much easier to find the silver lining in the cloud. But for those individual like myself, who no longer adheres to the strict biblical perspective, it is not such a simple task.

Peace
Providence

[NeverMind]

Hello, Providence -

clearly I have not expressed myself well. :-)

What I meant to say was precisely that you do not even have to adhere to the Christian faith, or to any faith, as long as you "adhere" to the principles that it expresses, to celebrate today as the reaffirmation of those principles.

I have found that many people, even (or especially) some "atheists", do believe in the value of the principles expressed by Christ.
I am such a person myself. :-)

(And even just historically, the civilisational value of those principles is immense, literally incalculable - witness the words I quoted by Paul - generally not one of my favourite people. But 'll give credit where credit is due. :-)).

There is a mystery in Christ's words - but only as long as one reads them with a rational, world-weary mind.
It is not a mystery for its own sake - it is to be deciphered.
As the Sufis say - among many others - the heart will, infallibly, tell you the solution.
Reading those words is not the worst way to spend one's time.

That's why I'll say, once again: a happy and blessed Christmas to you and to all.

[Providence]

Posted by NeverMind (here)
Hello, Providence -

clearly I have not expressed myself well. :-)

What I meant to say was precisely that you do not even have to adhere to the Christian faith, or to any faith, as long as you "adhere" to the principles that it expresses, to celebrate today as the reaffirmation of those principles.

I have found that many people, even (or especially) some "atheists", do believe in the value of the principles expressed by Christ.
I am such a person myself. :-)

(And even just historically, the civilisational value of those principles is immense, literally incalculable - witness the words I quoted by Paul - generally not one of my favourite people. But 'll give credit where credit is due. :-)).

There is a mystery in Christ's words - but only as long as one reads them with a rational, world-weary mind.
It is not a mystery for its own sake - it is to be deciphered.
As the Sufis say - among many others - the heart will, infallibly, tell you the solution.
Reading those words is not the worst way to spend one's time.

That's why I'll say, once again: a happy and blessed Christmas to you and to all.

A happy and blessed Christmas to you as well! And, I understood what you intended, I really did. B-)

I do believe in the values/principles expressed by Christ, as I do from the Buddha philosophy, and others, as we all know, truth is truth.

It is the 'container' that we create with our religiosity that challenges me personally. A container that boxes in a set of values/truths, and by definition, boxes out other sets of values/truths, which effectively limits and confines the human potential for unfettered love and enlightenment.

Yes, I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

[NeverMind]

I do believe in the values/principles expressed by Christ, as I do from the Buddha philosophy, and others, as we all know, truth is truth.

Well, then, that's all matters.
Never mind the "containers". People always find a way of tainting everything with their fear.
Pity them.
(And I mean this in the most charitable sense.)

[Bollinger]

For most people, especially the minority cultures who reside in countries foreign to their native roots, Christmas is simply a brief time to forget one's troubles, come together, exchange gifts, bring good cheer, laugh, cry and enjoy the period away from the toils of the year. From that point of view, it far outweighs and transcends all religious and commercial ramifications.

Even for people who choose to label themselves Christians, it is above all, a time to reflect on the year gone, celebrate and give thanks for the year to come. It is a time to revise, revisit and reflect on the highs and lows of the past 12 months. That, strangely enough, helps to refill one's reservoir of hope for the future, perhaps arming us in some small way to face the challenges that are sure to come knocking on our door and maybe even prepare us for the inevitable; should it happen.

All things considered, individually and collectively, the positives that arise from it are far more valuable than any intellectual principle or dogma we may harbour against it purely on the grounds of religion.

So, as a gesture of good will and a Christmas gift from me, I’d like to post a video that surely inspires in all of us, hope for ourselves and humanity as whole.

Promise not to cry.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo

[Providence]

Posted by NeverMind (here)

I do believe in the values/principles expressed by Christ, as I do from the Buddha philosophy, and others, as we all know, truth is truth.

Well, then, that's all matters.
Never mind the "containers". People always find a way of tainting everything with their fear.
Pity them.
(And I mean this in the most charitable sense.)

I respect your viewpoint, but I will just end this conversation with this one short comment, that we can't just ignore the containers. IMHO

[Providence]

Posted by Bollinger (here)
For most people, especially the minority cultures who reside in countries foreign to their native roots, Christmas is simply a brief time to forget one's troubles, come together, exchange gifts, bring good cheer, laugh, cry and enjoy the period away from the toils of the year. From that point of view, it far outweighs and transcends all religious and commercial ramifications.

Even for people who choose to label themselves Christians, it is above all, a time to reflect on the year gone, celebrate and give thanks for the year to come. It is a time to revise, revisit and reflect on the highs and lows of the past 12 months. That, strangely enough, helps to refill one's reservoir of hope for the future, perhaps arming us in some small way to face the challenges that are sure to come knocking on our door and maybe even prepare us for the inevitable; should it happen.

All things considered, individually and collectively, the positives that arise from it are far more valuable than any intellectual principle or dogma we may harbour against it purely on the grounds of religion.

So, as a gesture of good will and a Christmas gift from me, I’d like to post a video that surely inspires in all of us, hope for ourselves and humanity as whole.

Promise not to cry.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo

Thank you Bollinger, counting my blessings as I watch.

I do want to say something though, this time of year is a very stressful and negative time for many. An increase in suicides, depression, a feeling of discontentment, financial and family pressures, etc, and I'm not trying to put a damper on the season, just trying to bring more of a balance to the sometimes idealistic perception of the Christmas season of 'peace and joy'.

As powerful as the positive aspects are, there are just as equally powerful negative aspects of the Christmas season that I don't think we address, unless we are one of those so affected. For many it is not a time of forgetting your troubles, good cheer, and laughter, it is a time of sorry, increased troubles, and reflections of the past that brings heartache, remorse, regret.

Just trying to bring more of a truly balanced viewpoint. The perceived peace and joy of this time of year has a very real reciprocal element. We embrace the positives in wonderful platitudes of love, but fail to recognize and address the negatives surrounding the structure of our sacred Christmas season. Maybe if all the structural elements of Christmas were to fall to the ground, we could exercise peace and love to all equally. And that would be a better world.

[Bollinger]

Posted by Providence (here)
Thank you Bollinger, counting my blessings as I watch.

I do want to say something though, this time of year is a very stressful and negative time for many. An increase in suicides, depression, a feeling of discontentment, financial and family pressures, etc, and I'm not trying to put a damper on the season, just trying to bring more of a balance to the sometimes idealistic perception of the Christmas season of 'peace and joy'.

As powerful as the positive aspects are, there are just as equally powerful negative aspects of the Christmas season that I don't think we address, unless we are one of those so affected. For many it is not a time of forgetting your troubles, good cheer, and laughter, it is a time of sorry, increased troubles, and reflections of the past that brings heartache, remorse, regret.

Just trying to bring more of a truly balanced viewpoint. The perceived peace and joy of this time of year has a very real reciprocal element. We embrace the positives in wonderful platitudes of love, but fail to recognize and address the negatives surrounding the structure of our sacred Christmas season. Maybe if all the structural elements of Christmas were to fall to the ground, we could exercise peace and love to all equally. And that would be a better world.

Providence,

That people do unusual things on unusual days is not in dispute. There are those who lead very hard lives: those who are alone, who are lost, destitute, sick or going through a rough patch. Suicide to them is a permanent pain killer which no doubt is probably entertained daily but I take your point. While everyone else is enjoying their gifts and get-togethers, there are those that peer through the window, hearing the muffled sound of joy, and think this is the time to end it all.

Our hearts will always feel heavy when we consider those less fortunate than ourselves, of course it will, it is the hallmark of being human. I have argued with myself on this many times and there is no real solution. There is a choice, of sorts. We can be very dogmatic and refuse all enjoyment and fun while there is even one person who suffers more than we do OR we can embrace the world as it is, look upon it with a heavy heart and help it in any way we can, if we can. But we know, with absolute certainty, that come tomorrow we will still have two billion men, women and children living beneath the poverty line. This will remain whichever choice we make. Is it not therefore, better to snatch a fleeting moment of collective joy for those who can (such as at Christmas and other holidays) than to abstain totally from what little enjoyment there is on offer in this wretched world of ours?

[Providence]

Peace Bollinger,
Alas, we must agree, and yet disagree, but just for the record, no offense intended, and none taken from my perspective. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Respectfully!
Providence