For me, Christmas is a season of love, family, and friendship.  I know that yes, it is rooted in Christianity and it is Christ’s birthday.  *thumbs up*  And that is way awesome.  My parents, however, were raised in extremely different religions and they had already achieved the whole “kindness is my religion” before the Dalai Lama did. (Sorry, Dalai, it’s true.  We should hang out, by the way.  I think you’re the bees’ knees.)

So, I was raised enjoying Christmas, believing every inch in the spirit of the season without actually doing “the whole religion” thing.  Personally, I think it’s more “Christian” and more “seasonal” to spend time helping the less fortunate, dropping food at the local food bank, buying toys for children who might not get any otherwise, etc. than to pull the Christian card, claim the holiday and then (insert massive maybe here) attend church.  Good for you, someone started a holiday  millenniums ago and you feel you have ownership over it.  I’m here to tell you that copyright expired a long, long time ago.

And, if we’re getting super technical, scholars and theologists around the world cannot agree with any degree of certainty that December 25th was indeed the day that Christ was born.  It was more or less cherry-picked to take over Winter Solstice celebrations from pre-Christian “pagans”.  If you happen to be one of the “Merry Christmas brigade” as I like to refer to them, please just know that actually we should be wishing each other a “Wonderful Winter Solstice”.  Now that I’ve said that, I am totally wishing someone that this season just to see their response.

My point (yes, I have one) is that since it’s a season of love, joy, family, friendship, compassion – why can’t we just all get along???  Why do we care more about the language someone chooses when wishing us well than the actual fact that another person is wishing us well?  Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah), Happy Kwanzaa, Wonderful Winter Solstice, WHO CARES!?!  (On a side note, I am often in the company of teenagers, so – for them – I will happily take a “Peace out, brotha.”) How about you wish me well in whatever way is comfortable and indicative of the season to you and I will wish you well in whatever way makes me happy?  Mutual joy/affection/love expressed individually.

Bottom line is the world evolves and changes and as long as we are all expressing joy (rather than negativity and hate – like the Merry Christmas brigade), what’s the problem?

On a personal note, the great divide with regard to my parents’ religions – the divide so MASSIVE they couldn’t conquer it but rather found a path around it – was that my dad was Catholic and my mom was Pentecostal. Yep.  In-sur-mount-able.  You see, the world is an ever-changing place.  And what was formerly an unimaginable divide now appears tiny by comparison to the world we now live in.  I was blessed to have had their wisdom, insight, humor and compassion for as many years as I did, but my greatest takeaway is that kindness will never guide you astray.  However you celebrate this season of love and kindness, know that my love, friendship and good wishes go with you.