Today is December 26th and suddenly Christmas is over for another year.

How is it that one day we can be peace on earth, goodwill towards men and full of joy and then suddenly it is over? Depending on our choice we fall somewhere on the line of embracing to ignoring Christmas. But why do we make our choice? This is the fascinating question.

I cannot answer your question, that is for you to do and please share with us, using comments, your truth. I can however share my own reasons here and now.

Christmas is important to me. I enjoyed it very much as a child and my mother liked to decorate our home and bake special treats and provide the best possible atmosphere for us to enjoy the holidays. My mother had many rules and was a strict disciplinarian and that sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment but the thing I always enjoyed the most was seeing other people in our home or going to their homes.

Today the part of Christmas I most enjoy and celebrate is in fact socializing. I may not always receive tangible gifts but I always receive many gifts. Whether it is talking on the phone to my family all in one day. I am talking conversations not just “hi, how are you”. Getting invited and going to many events with friends, like this year the pantomime of Dick Whittington or cooking for guests in my home, the holidays are special to me. Eat, drink and be merry (or Mary if you prefer) would sum up my view of the holidays.

And this is all that is important to me, so the day itself and the religious stories rarely cross my mind. Spiritual expression is a personal experience and I find that I enjoy more as a living part of my daily activities and  that is how I include it. So I can say Mary Kiss My Ass as I do sometimes to my gay friends or Merry Christmas as I do with my christian friends or simply Happy Holidays, but always I am wishing you the same thing, a life full of laughter, love and learning. The same as I choose for myself.