And so it is Christmas

When we were kids, the day would never come—always hanging in the distance like some red and green rainbow of presents wrapped with bows and cookies covered in frosting.

It was ‘the most wonderful time of the year.’ Can it be again?

The past few years I’ve heard a lot of people down on Christmas. Too much fuss. Too much to do. Too much of the in-laws.

True, consumerism has inserted its claws, and, yes, too much eggnog is too much eggnog. But, at its core, Christmas is still a celebration of love and merriment. Of giving and good cheer. That the days are getting longer. That College Football Bowl Season has arrived. That we have a fire and family to keep us warm.

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I go for a lot of walks. I got a lot of energy, so I bundle up and just go out. And one of my favorite things to do this time of year is to simply make eye contact with strangers passing by, smile, and say, “Merry Christmas.”

It’s way better than the mere “hello” or “good evening” we’re allowed the rest of the year. For the words, “Merry Christmas,” tap into something. Maybe it’s youth or grandma or frosting covered cookies. Whatever the case, the passerby invariably looks up, smiles, and returns the sentiment.

And, if even for two seconds, a connection has been made.

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Physicists now confirm what spiritual leaders have long known about energy, the energy that Obiwan Kenobe told Luke Skywalker about, the energy that flows through everything on earth, through everything in the universe, the energy that joins us in the common dance to the cosmic song.

This unifying force means we don’t have to be Christians to celebrate Christmas, and I don’t have to be Jewish to celebrate Chanukah with my girlfriend. Just like we don’t have to be Druids to celebrate the solstice or fans of the New York Yankees to rock a pinstripe suit.

We’re, simply, humans. Dogs and cats and spider monkeys, too. All just floating through space trying to fill our days with more smiles than frowns, more peace than strife, more love today than we had yesterday.

I’ll drink some eggnog to that.