There is something unsettling about this time of the year.
It seems that Fall and Winter are the Seasons of costumed excess and endless charades. My oldest daughter works for a certain mouse-oriented organization, but for Halloween (on her own time) she was Harley Quinn, the creepy consort of the Supervillain The Joker. I mentioned to one of my pious brethren that it seemed like there were more older kids dressing up than younger. Parroting the words so many other self-ordained prophets, he stated that "Christians should have nothing to do with pagan-based Holidays like Halloween, Christmas and Easter".
Personally, I don't care either way, but I asked him: "Is participating in Halloween or
Christmas any worse than supporting college and pro sporting events, which profit
directly from alcohol sales and advertisement? (He was dumbfounded; I just love to knock people off their soap boxes!)
Still, I find this time of the year to be a little unsettling. Is it because of the over the top commercialism? On a daily basis we are bombarded by merchants, who tell us that our lives aren't worth living unless we spend ourselves into oblivion.
Is it because we just ended a rather brutal political cycle, during which we learned to distrust every person sitting 'across the aisle'? (I am reminded of an old song by Steeler's Wheel: 'Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you!)
Is it because I am a Secret Scrooge? I doubt it, because I gladly volunteer to scarf down baked goodies (and even the 'baddies'. I love fruitcake!)
As always, with a shrug I look past the tinsel and the dunsel to see the bottom line. The true meaning of any Holiday is to appreciate what we've got.
My oldest daughter - 'Harley Quinn' - just told us that she won't be coming home for Christmas because she has to work. I am happy because "The Rat Company" has her working full-time; however, I am realizing that this will be the first Christmas that she will be away from home. I still have one and 'a half' children still living at home. My son is still in high school, while my middle daughter (the 'half' - 100% my DNA but only occasionally here) is home from college for the break. Right now she is sitting across from me sewing some wierd Cat In The Hat - type hoodie, while she chuckles at some cartoon movie on computer.
I am not so naive as to think that everyone is blessed with this; after all we have news of endless war, school shootings and economic turmoil blasting at us 24/7. Add to these the horrible things that are never reported in the media. Yet I have met enough survivors of horrific events to know that everyone can at least reach for some sense of inner peace. Whether it starts from within or without, from dogma or doctrine, I cannot tell. But when I shut out the world, whatever bitterness and disappointment I feel simply melts away.
Perhaps it is as simple as looking in a different direction, of thinking differently.
Perhaps it is as simple as putting on a costume, in the heart and in the mind.
Always Be Positive!
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