A Christmas Memory

Over the years is has come to my attention that the only real people who stand up and make a big somg and dance about Christmas being an evil mainstream holiday that has nothing to do with regligion! Are those from other religious backgrounds... by opening thier mouths and just simply saying that aren't they perpetuating a for of discrimination? How is Christmas any different from Hannika, Divali, Ramadon? I feel that quite possibly The USA has nailed it with their thanks giving holiday... but even that is plagued with WHAT REALLY HAPPENED... I can't speak out for anyone but myself so I thought I'd share my feelings about Christmas and what it means to me...

My earliest childhood memory of Christmas was probobly when I was about 5 or 6 years old... I lived with my family in a small suburb in Melbourne and every year at Christmas we would rotate between our house, my cosins and my grandparents. This particular year it was at our house...

While the 'olds' were preparing for a day of feasting us kids were hanging about the Christmas tree because Nanna and Grandad had put a REALLY BIG GIFT under the tree and we were all super keen to know who it was for! Being the eldest (and the one who could read) I nominated myself (bossy too) to sneak over and look at the card! To my amazement it was for me. Well that was it, were all tried to guess what it could possible be... its true! All we cared about was the gifts under the tree... but who whouldn't? Boxes wrapped under a tree that must not be opened till Christmas, isn't that a form of teaching? Self control, imagination... 

I remember when it came time to opening presents (we were still trying to keep up the sharade of 'not knowing' who the BIG present was for, because as Catholics we were brought up not to be greedy, so at the time I thought if my parents didn't know how greedy I was, at feeling great for winning the BIG present, then Jesus wouldn't either! HAHAHA! God might! but he forgives! Besides in my mind, i believed BAby JEsus would have been happy with a big gift too... whether he was willing to admit it or not! 

When I eventually got to open my gift I was immediatly filled with love... my grandfather had MADE me a bookshelf. He didn't run out to the shop to buy me something, he spent hours of his time creating something so special and grown up, just for me! In that moment i understood how special this Christmas gift was and from that day I have always wanted to hand make all my gifts just like my grandad did, becuase it made me feel so truely special.

NOW... I sit hear now, recalling this story with hind sight, yes I did have a moment of awareness, but I was 5 and I quickly moved onto my new barbie doll ;) I can understand that many only see the commercial side of Christmas... But to be judged in this day and age by someone my own age because their belifes differ from mine... well tell me how that's fair? Do we judge a person in a hot country for wearing a t-shirt? OF COURSE NOT!!! THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS! So why are we, as a human race judging each other so badly on simple beliefes that have been past down to us from our grand parents... While we should question our own belifes we also need to embrace them because it is what makes us who we are. 

My interpretation is that we all need to question ourselves more and be more present in the world today. To step out of our comfort zones and do the things in life that we really want because depression an be easy to hide... happiness... not so much!