Happy Hanukkah

It's been awhile but I have been ubber busy with School Christmas concerts and Family Christmas parties. Ugh to both. I mean I love Christmas, the spirit of and not so much the retail and commercialization of the birth of Gods one and only son. I am reminded of a saying a friend had, "Happy Birthday Jesus I hope you like crap." Sometimes that is how I feel. When I hear stories of grown women punching each other for a toy that their child would literally die if they do not receive. Ah... and stories of people being trampled just to get into a store the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving a holiday to give thanks for what we have and be thankful we have that oh and be thankful for the people in our lives if there is time. Then the next day it's a holiday to celebrate what we want or what we think we want and or deserve and we must get it at any cost possible. Even if that means degrading our soul to get it. In this era of "ownership" society should we not pause and take ownership OF our society. Are we really a society of greedy, pushy, selfish people who only want for ourselves or at the very least those we know. Where is this high christian morality that gave our newly elected President a mandate. I was raised christian and was taught to be charitable and humble, to want not for myself but for others. Now I am not an expert but I am pretty sure most all other religions hold this or similar beliefs. Then why is it that we as a country and a people so driven by the material.

This year I have taken a break from gift giving and getting. I am still getting gifts for my niece and nephews and the sister-in-law I drew in the family Christmas exchange but I have asked my family to make donations with the money they would have spent on me. I think my point was made when that notion was made fun of or just met with confusion. I am also just giving cards and trying to make an effort to personalize each of the ones I send. I hope that people will understand what I am doing. I really want to use this holiday to really be selfish and reconnect with my friends and family.