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Yesterday was Christmas Eve. I had M over. I gave her her gifts -- a new copy of Battleship (she lost the pieces for the game I got her last year), and two DVDs. And she spent the day playing her computer games. When she plays, she gets so engrossed that she loses track of time and forgets to eat. This has become a sore point for R. She expects me to be a responsible adult and feed her when she's here. I would, but when I offer her food, she says she's not hungry. It's not like I'm intentionally trying to starve her, and I'm not going to force-feed her.
And today was Christmas Day. I slept in, since R had other plans for M today. The camcorder is either broken or the charger is missing, so I didn't get to videotape her opening presents this year. Went to UU services this morning. Then went home and took a nap. Then I went back to the UU fellowship for a potluck Christmas dinner. There were about 40 of us there. My green bean casserole went over well. The cranberry relish -- not so well. I still have plenty.
And now I'm just chilling out at home, watching football, and snuggling with Marcus, who's laying next to me. Happiness is a warm kitty.
I didn't get any gifts, other than cash. I didn't get any coal, either. Most of my "presents" I bought for myself -- a replacement teaspoon for my silverware set, an external hard drive enclosure, a teacup with a built-in strainer. And I'm OK with that. For me, the Christmas season is no longer about the materialism. I don't need or want a wide-screen TV, a Lexus with a bow on it, or jewelry, despite what the TV commercials are pushing and hawking. The stories of people getting into fistfights over sneakers or taking food from other people's shopping carts only reinforces my cynicism of the holiday.
It's also not about the getting any more. It's the giving. Like the time a few days ago I helped an elderly lady pay for her groceries when she bought more than what she could pay for, and was struggling to decide what to keep and what to put back. And it is the season of rebirth. To quote a minister friend of mine from Indiana, who paraphrased St. Augustine: "What good is it if I celebrate the birth of Jesus year after year, but don’t allow the Christ to be born through me?" Catholic dogma didn't teach me that there is a divine spark within each of us. I had to learn that on my own. I need to recognize and honor that divine spark within me, and within others.
And today was Christmas Day. I slept in, since R had other plans for M today. The camcorder is either broken or the charger is missing, so I didn't get to videotape her opening presents this year. Went to UU services this morning. Then went home and took a nap. Then I went back to the UU fellowship for a potluck Christmas dinner. There were about 40 of us there. My green bean casserole went over well. The cranberry relish -- not so well. I still have plenty.
And now I'm just chilling out at home, watching football, and snuggling with Marcus, who's laying next to me. Happiness is a warm kitty.
I didn't get any gifts, other than cash. I didn't get any coal, either. Most of my "presents" I bought for myself -- a replacement teaspoon for my silverware set, an external hard drive enclosure, a teacup with a built-in strainer. And I'm OK with that. For me, the Christmas season is no longer about the materialism. I don't need or want a wide-screen TV, a Lexus with a bow on it, or jewelry, despite what the TV commercials are pushing and hawking. The stories of people getting into fistfights over sneakers or taking food from other people's shopping carts only reinforces my cynicism of the holiday.
It's also not about the getting any more. It's the giving. Like the time a few days ago I helped an elderly lady pay for her groceries when she bought more than what she could pay for, and was struggling to decide what to keep and what to put back. And it is the season of rebirth. To quote a minister friend of mine from Indiana, who paraphrased St. Augustine: "What good is it if I celebrate the birth of Jesus year after year, but don’t allow the Christ to be born through me?" Catholic dogma didn't teach me that there is a divine spark within each of us. I had to learn that on my own. I need to recognize and honor that divine spark within me, and within others.
