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catinmylapI hope everyone is having a pleasant holiday season. I realize that Hannukah is over, and I hope those who observe it had a wonderful time and that everyone else is set to do the same in their own ways for the Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and all the other holidays people observe at this time of year.
I grew up in a family of non-religious, nominal Protestants. My family celebrated Christmas, but our celebration fell on Christmas Eve, which was my parents' wedding anniversary. I didn't connect Christmas to religion, really, until I started to hear about that connection when I was already in school, and asked my mom about it. Maybe I just didn't pay any attention before then. I never believed in Santa, mind you. My dad wanted to make sure we knew where our gifts came from - his and my mom's hard work. But I enjoyed all the stories of Santa and the elves and Rudolph the Reindeer just the same. We always had gifts, and decorations, and lots of special foods and time with family. To me that's what Christmas is all about.
Today, with all the talk of a "war on Christmas" and people wanting to push their religions on others, or getting their feelings hurt when others don't acknowledge the day they celebrate, or the belief system behind it, it's difficult to keep that spirit alive, that of time spent sharing love with family and friends. To me that's what all the winter holidays are about:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
I'm sorry if that's not enough for some, but that's what is important to me. I think it's rather sad that anyone would focus on the negatives they perceive in others celebrating as they see fit. So, in spite of all the controversy ... I still celebrate as I see fit. Some years, depending on where I've been in my life, that's meant not celebrating at all. Sometimes it's meant I celebrated the Yule/Solstice instead of Christmas. Sometimes it's meant I celebrated all of the above. But always, always at the center of how I celebrated were:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
When I was still fairly young and found out what the Christian version of Christmas was all about, I read the New Testament. First just the portion about the birth of Jesus, and later the whole thing, several times. Much later, as a young adult, I read the entire Bible. I got very Christian for a few years there, joined a major church, even proselytized a little - though I didn't really want to, I let myself be coerced into it by church leadership and peer pressure. I even became a young adult leader in my local church, but I still always had a sinking feeling in my stomach about the missionary approach. It felt WRONG to push my beliefs on others. I gradually moved away from the dogma of that institution, first due to my job keeping me from attending services. Later, after a lot of thought about what I believed in my heart, and the realization that the church doctrines and what I believed was right were in conflict, I formally left that church. I wasn't sure at that point if I had ever really believed in Jesus' divinity. I had only believed what I read, as if anything put in writing were sacrosanct. Perhaps it was my own adventures in writing, in learning to manipulate words on paper and later a computer, that helped me come to terms with my beliefs and non-beliefs about Christianity, and to realize what a personal thing belief really is. That it must be personal, that one must find one's own path. Whether that path is found inside an established religion, or in the religion of one's family, or not, isn't what's important. The important thing is to find the path that's right for that one person. The relationship to spirit, to belief or to non-belief, is deeply personal and unique.
When I encountered the Buddhist teaching to believe what you know to be true, I felt as if I had come home. Not to Buddhism, but to my ability to find my own spiritual path, to be my own priestess, to trust myself more than someone else to tell me what I should believe, what I should observe, what my practice should be, and especially to find spiritual truth. I found that spiritual truth can be found anywhere and everywhere. In most spiritual writings I can find grains of truth, but not just in writings. I can find truth in the eyes of those who know love, in the gratitude of stray cats when someone feeds them, in the leaves of trees, the clouds, and the stars in the sky. In the beauty of a snowflake revealed under a microscope, and in the Hubble telescope photos of numerous other galaxies out there in deep space. Everywhere.
This was my most profound spiritual lesson, to see love, truth, and spirit everywhere. Once I returned to it I realized that my parents taught it to me long ago.
Then this whole "war on Christmas" thing came around, and all I could think was, "What is wrong with these people?" Can't they see what this is about? It's not about any one religion, or telling others what they should believe, and especially not about hating others for their beliefs. Divisiveness doesn't fit the spirit of the season.
Each of us has our own path to tread in this life.
I celebrate this time of year as I always have. Sometimes God, Jesus, Goddess, or a pantheon of gods, or no god at all have been part of my observance. But I've come to believe that it doesn't matter what we believe. Surely any personified supreme being(s), if they exist and are truly deserving of our worship, see that in this world it's a wonderful thing if we just remember:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
If that's not enough for "God," then I don't consider it an issue. And if it's not enough for some people, then they should look to their own celebrations and observances and leave everyone else's alone. And when I say "Merry Christmas" I'm not claiming a religion or imposing my own on others. I'm simply repeating the greeting I grew up with in my family, my home place, my culture. I don't always say it, only when I'm speaking from early programming and lessons, which I guess I do a lot. Other times, when I think about it, I say "Happy Holidays." With a Jewish friend I might say "Happy Hannukah," and I might say that even if Hannukah is already over, because I am not familiar with that particular calendar and I hope no one holds me to it. I can love and respect the fact that Jews and Muslims have their own holidays and calendars without needing to learn those calendars. Do most of them know the Wiccan calendar? Or the Buddhist one? I doubt it. It shouldn't matter, if we care about each other, if we're looking for peace instead of a reason to be in conflict.
It shouldn't matter what holiday or season we name when we greet one another! We are speaking words of love. And if I say "Merry Christmas" and you're an atheist, just take it as a cheerful hope, that you're having a merry season, because surely you can get as caught up in the magic of the season as anyone. I know I did, before I had any beliefs attached to it, as a child. This is the time of year to have the heart of a child.
This year, for me, there isn't really much going on in the way of celebration. We will see a few people we don't get to see very often. There might be a few cookies involved, but not the dozens of them I've indulged in in the past. I will spend it at home with my spouse who hasn't been feeling well, and enjoy the time with him and our sweet pets.
As an introvert who has embraced the Internet, I find that a lot of my dearest friends are people I've never even met, or those I did at one time but keep in touch with more across the net than face to face. Most of us don't send cards any more, but what we share, online or elsewhere, isn't diminished if we take care to keep love alive, to be there for each other in spirit, and to care about each other - and let the other know that we care.
That's really all there is to this season, it's a simple, warm, wonderful holiday kept in the hearts of people facing a cold, dark winter (even though for some it's a long, hot summer right now). I think it has probably been that way since mankind existed, no matter what name people gave the holiday. The return of the Sun had to be an event every year, since before we even had language to express it.
I wish you peace, love, plenty, and the company of those who understand you, or at least try to, this season and throughout the year. May the Sun's return shine on your life in wonderful ways.
I grew up in a family of non-religious, nominal Protestants. My family celebrated Christmas, but our celebration fell on Christmas Eve, which was my parents' wedding anniversary. I didn't connect Christmas to religion, really, until I started to hear about that connection when I was already in school, and asked my mom about it. Maybe I just didn't pay any attention before then. I never believed in Santa, mind you. My dad wanted to make sure we knew where our gifts came from - his and my mom's hard work. But I enjoyed all the stories of Santa and the elves and Rudolph the Reindeer just the same. We always had gifts, and decorations, and lots of special foods and time with family. To me that's what Christmas is all about.
Today, with all the talk of a "war on Christmas" and people wanting to push their religions on others, or getting their feelings hurt when others don't acknowledge the day they celebrate, or the belief system behind it, it's difficult to keep that spirit alive, that of time spent sharing love with family and friends. To me that's what all the winter holidays are about:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
I'm sorry if that's not enough for some, but that's what is important to me. I think it's rather sad that anyone would focus on the negatives they perceive in others celebrating as they see fit. So, in spite of all the controversy ... I still celebrate as I see fit. Some years, depending on where I've been in my life, that's meant not celebrating at all. Sometimes it's meant I celebrated the Yule/Solstice instead of Christmas. Sometimes it's meant I celebrated all of the above. But always, always at the center of how I celebrated were:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
When I was still fairly young and found out what the Christian version of Christmas was all about, I read the New Testament. First just the portion about the birth of Jesus, and later the whole thing, several times. Much later, as a young adult, I read the entire Bible. I got very Christian for a few years there, joined a major church, even proselytized a little - though I didn't really want to, I let myself be coerced into it by church leadership and peer pressure. I even became a young adult leader in my local church, but I still always had a sinking feeling in my stomach about the missionary approach. It felt WRONG to push my beliefs on others. I gradually moved away from the dogma of that institution, first due to my job keeping me from attending services. Later, after a lot of thought about what I believed in my heart, and the realization that the church doctrines and what I believed was right were in conflict, I formally left that church. I wasn't sure at that point if I had ever really believed in Jesus' divinity. I had only believed what I read, as if anything put in writing were sacrosanct. Perhaps it was my own adventures in writing, in learning to manipulate words on paper and later a computer, that helped me come to terms with my beliefs and non-beliefs about Christianity, and to realize what a personal thing belief really is. That it must be personal, that one must find one's own path. Whether that path is found inside an established religion, or in the religion of one's family, or not, isn't what's important. The important thing is to find the path that's right for that one person. The relationship to spirit, to belief or to non-belief, is deeply personal and unique.
When I encountered the Buddhist teaching to believe what you know to be true, I felt as if I had come home. Not to Buddhism, but to my ability to find my own spiritual path, to be my own priestess, to trust myself more than someone else to tell me what I should believe, what I should observe, what my practice should be, and especially to find spiritual truth. I found that spiritual truth can be found anywhere and everywhere. In most spiritual writings I can find grains of truth, but not just in writings. I can find truth in the eyes of those who know love, in the gratitude of stray cats when someone feeds them, in the leaves of trees, the clouds, and the stars in the sky. In the beauty of a snowflake revealed under a microscope, and in the Hubble telescope photos of numerous other galaxies out there in deep space. Everywhere.
This was my most profound spiritual lesson, to see love, truth, and spirit everywhere. Once I returned to it I realized that my parents taught it to me long ago.
Then this whole "war on Christmas" thing came around, and all I could think was, "What is wrong with these people?" Can't they see what this is about? It's not about any one religion, or telling others what they should believe, and especially not about hating others for their beliefs. Divisiveness doesn't fit the spirit of the season.
Each of us has our own path to tread in this life.
I celebrate this time of year as I always have. Sometimes God, Jesus, Goddess, or a pantheon of gods, or no god at all have been part of my observance. But I've come to believe that it doesn't matter what we believe. Surely any personified supreme being(s), if they exist and are truly deserving of our worship, see that in this world it's a wonderful thing if we just remember:
Sharing
Love
Family
Friends
If that's not enough for "God," then I don't consider it an issue. And if it's not enough for some people, then they should look to their own celebrations and observances and leave everyone else's alone. And when I say "Merry Christmas" I'm not claiming a religion or imposing my own on others. I'm simply repeating the greeting I grew up with in my family, my home place, my culture. I don't always say it, only when I'm speaking from early programming and lessons, which I guess I do a lot. Other times, when I think about it, I say "Happy Holidays." With a Jewish friend I might say "Happy Hannukah," and I might say that even if Hannukah is already over, because I am not familiar with that particular calendar and I hope no one holds me to it. I can love and respect the fact that Jews and Muslims have their own holidays and calendars without needing to learn those calendars. Do most of them know the Wiccan calendar? Or the Buddhist one? I doubt it. It shouldn't matter, if we care about each other, if we're looking for peace instead of a reason to be in conflict.
It shouldn't matter what holiday or season we name when we greet one another! We are speaking words of love. And if I say "Merry Christmas" and you're an atheist, just take it as a cheerful hope, that you're having a merry season, because surely you can get as caught up in the magic of the season as anyone. I know I did, before I had any beliefs attached to it, as a child. This is the time of year to have the heart of a child.
This year, for me, there isn't really much going on in the way of celebration. We will see a few people we don't get to see very often. There might be a few cookies involved, but not the dozens of them I've indulged in in the past. I will spend it at home with my spouse who hasn't been feeling well, and enjoy the time with him and our sweet pets.
As an introvert who has embraced the Internet, I find that a lot of my dearest friends are people I've never even met, or those I did at one time but keep in touch with more across the net than face to face. Most of us don't send cards any more, but what we share, online or elsewhere, isn't diminished if we take care to keep love alive, to be there for each other in spirit, and to care about each other - and let the other know that we care.
That's really all there is to this season, it's a simple, warm, wonderful holiday kept in the hearts of people facing a cold, dark winter (even though for some it's a long, hot summer right now). I think it has probably been that way since mankind existed, no matter what name people gave the holiday. The return of the Sun had to be an event every year, since before we even had language to express it.
I wish you peace, love, plenty, and the company of those who understand you, or at least try to, this season and throughout the year. May the Sun's return shine on your life in wonderful ways.
