Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! "Isn't Christmas over?" "I have to pay my credit card bills next month because I spent too much on gifts." "I am returning the gift from _________ because I don't like it." Do these statements sound familiar? Does the history of the statements repeat themselves each year?

Christmas is one of the last words you may want to hear right now, but it's important to mention it right now. I attended 3 different Christmas gatherings. At each gathering, I observed what I hoped to not see again: greed, envy, and jealousy. I stared through my lens as I watched people study their gifts with a meticulous eye, full of intent. I felt the prude Scrooges and Grinches in the air as I saw them sit in misery. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty.

Oftentimes, I wonder what triggers the spite and green to emerge from deep within during the holiday season. I wish I could say that this is the first time I've witnessed what I saw, but it happens every year. After all of these years, one would expect I would succumb to my environment and become a product of it. On the contrary, I have used holiday experiences to strengthen me and to guide me in a better direction.

When I attended the holiday events this past year, I could have become part of the destruction. However, I continued to remind myself that I have loved ones in my life that will support me unconditionally. No amount of money could replace the meaningful relationships in my life.

Some days, I wonder why certain people have come and gone in my life and why others remain. I know it is not my place to question this. All I know is that I am grateful for the meaningful relationships that are in my life. I don't need one day to remind me what I should be thankful for in my life; every day is Christmas to me.