The Christmas Spirit

 It is the evening of Christmas Day, December 2020.  If I am honest with myself, it did not “feel” like Christmas.  To help with getting into the Christmas spirit I bought my Christmas cards and mailed them out to family, friends and loved ones.  I did not buy the cards I would normally get because when I went to the place where I would buy a few boxes, I discovered it was no longer there - COVID.  I bought substitutes at a drug store, typed out a quick verse on labels and mailed them out.  Yep, trying to keep “the Christmas spirit.”

My apartment in not decorated for the Christmas season.  The tree that is usually up and decorated is packed away still in the closet.  Why?  There is no room for a tree to be standing because my “make shift office is currently occupying the space.  I am working remotely from home.  My roommate, who has no room for an “office space” in his bedroom, occupies the dining room.  Neither one of us wants to decorate for Christmas.  To get into the “mood” of the holidays, I am listening to Christmas music on Enlighten Sirius XM; both of us are wearing headphones listening to different stations.  Yep, trying to keep “the Christmas spirit.”

 As I had done in the past, I posted my “Merry Christmas’s,” my photos, and graphic images on Facebook and in messages.  I sent a message to a friend whose mother passed away a few months ago of COVID.  I would always see him and his mother out together shopping during the Christmas season.  This year it is different, I thought about him wondering how he was doing.  My friend’s response to my message was this, “It’s been hard, I miss Mama so much; especially now.  I am trying my best.”  I thought a lot about the families that lost loved ones due to COVID; that Christmas for them would be difficult, hard and painful.  Yep, trying to keep “the Christmas spirit.”

 How many of us today struggle to keep “the Christmas spirit?”  Keeping the spirit of Christmas alive should not be that complicated, but we make it complicated.  Actually, when you think about it, “the Christmas spirit” is slowly fading away from the real meaning of Christmas; Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us’ (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).  Jesus is the reason for the season.  Today, to be “politically correct” and “all inclusive” we forget Christ in Christmas and say, “Happy Holidays.”  Christmas, (celebrating Santa Claus and presents to boys and girls, a possible reflection on Saint Nicholas, the patron saint and protector of children); Hanukkah (celebrating the recovery of Jerusalem after the Maccabean revolt in which oil in the lamp burned for seven days); and Kwanza (celebrating life focusing on values and principles).  Yep, we need to go back to the real meaning of Christmas and keep “the Christmas spirit.”

 This is how I remind myself of the true meaning of Christmas; keeping “the Christmas spirit!”   I wrote this back in the 1980's.  I will post a recording of the song later on my YouTube Channel, my current media file is not a compatible file...sigh, keeping "the Christmas spirit."

 



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