" So This Is Christmas … "

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young ...

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear ...

~ John Lennon ~ So This Is Christmas ~ 

***

So this is Christmas, well soon enough.  Yet I have to admit I am not a huge fan.  Okay I know, I will take a lot of flak for not liking Christmas, but I think I am just misunderstood.  I actually like Christmas ... I just don’t like that it is imaginary, temporary and means little to some ... I just don’t like how distorted it has become.

You see, I fully respect the true spirit of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.  It’s just all the fake stuff that tags along I could do without.  After the evening of the 25th, it’s over.  We then get to look forward to the next holiday all while boxing up decorations and waiting in the dreaded return lines.  I guess the real reason is that once Christmas is over, you realize that nothing has changed.  Christmas changed nothing ... you are still you, your context is still your context and whatever thorn in your side is still there!

Plus over the years I’ve run out of good gift ideas, gotten fed up with the shopping mall feeding frenzy and just been upset at all the ungrateful people … 

So maybe Christmas can change things because it has meaning ... for everyone, not just Christians.  Christmas is a “birth-day” and a life worth remembering because He undeniably lived and affected an infinite number of lives.

The great irony and paradox of Christmas, of learning to live compassionately … we don’t give to the poor; they give to us.

So maybe amid the bustle and hustle, we can rekindle the real spirit of the season by ...

Keep a candle burning ~ The constantly burning flame, holding back the darkness, is a potent symbol of life in the heart of winter. 

Support a worthy cause ~ Make a donation in someones name to an organization you know they'd like to support.

Write a letter to your past ~ Now is the ideal time to write a note to someone you wished you’d thanked for a kindness you’ve remembered

Give a gift that's really needed ~ Often we buy people presents just for the sake of buying them something but the idea is to match the service with the person's need. 

Plant a real Christmas tree ~ A lovely way to remember this Christmas, this could also make a great last-minute gift for a nature-loving friend. 

Eat by tree light ~ After the tree is decorated, have a meal around it. Turn off all the lights except for those on the tree, and admire its beauty.

Keep Christmas Eve simple ~ Instead of slaving to prepare a fantastic spread on Christmas Eve as well as Christmas Day, suggest a simple meal ... that way, you'll have more time to relax and enjoy each other's company.

" Give ... "

I been down right stubborn,

At one time or another,

And found it easier to bend.

I've had a shoulder to lean on

Been the one who got to be strong

And peace was waiting at both ends

I've felt the power, I've seen what it can do

It's seemed so simple, so simple that it's true

If you want to get love then give it

If you want to feel some forgiveness

Then you've gotta let go and do some forgiving of your own

If you want a friend then be one

A little bit of kindness, show some

You'll be surprised at how much finds it's way back home

It don't matter what it is

If you want it, give.

~ Leann Rimes ~ Give ~

***

I guess it would have been easier to just write a cheque, or donate money online but Monday morning we decided to contact the Siksika Reserve and find out what they needed and drop it off.  They are located in Gleichen, about 45 minutes to an hour away from Calgary and add another 40 minutes of commute time from our home to the city limits.  They need pretty much everything as 200 families were displaced during the recent Alberta floods.  

It has been a humbling experience ... this whole time.  Mother Nature, her fury and being able to do nothing but watch it happen.  Russell and I are so blessed to not have been physically affected but emotionally, well that is a whole other story.  An environment filled anxiety, fear, and stress as this wrath unfolds on our beautiful city.  

News reports reaching far and wide, overseas and down under ... Calls from friends and family ensuring everyone is “okay”.  Physically yes, okay, but this experience has changed our city, our citizens, our community ... a reality check, as things can change in an instant.

Yes it would have been easier to just send money but the impact that it had on us today is not replaceable ... gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for all we have ... an abundance.

We have so much and we are weathly ... maybe not in the eyes of the rich and famous, the oil barrons or the executives ... but in the eyes of those we met today, yes an abundance.

Tonight, I am going to let my burdens go.  

I am going to have faith that everything will get better.

There is something we all feel when we help others.  Perhaps an improved sense of well-being ... in order to help others in need ... a sense of purpose in life, an inner satisfaction.  Selfless giving ... no strings attached, recognizes that you have taken action in line with your spiritual beliefs by offering your resources to others in need. 

Personally, today was a very emotional and humbling experience.  It has been so easy to be consumed with my cr*p and today I realize, I have a roof on my head, I have warmth, I have food, I have a bed, I have ... an abundance.

I may not have everything I want but I have everything I need
at the two most important moments .... Here and Now.

If I need love, it’s already inside of me.

If I need peace, I just breathe.

If I need permission, I can say yes to me right now.

I have everything I need, because what I need is what I have.