It’s easy to think Christmas is a magical time of year full of friends, family, food, and gifts. That’s what we’re taught when we are growing up. Christmas has been bastardized into a holiday that has all but lost its original meaning. It’s almost offensive to say that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus because it doesn’t include everyone. If you truly celebrate The Nativity feast day, then, it has everything to do with the birth of Jesus. Adding all of the other traditions like gift giving (which originated with Saint Nicholas Archbishop of Myra in the Orthodox Christian church) doesn’t necessarily diminish the true meaning of Christmas, unless we push that true meaning into a dark corner and ignore it.
The fact is, friends and family get messy. The holidays either bring people together or tear them apart. I always wondered why my mother hated the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas). It wasn’t until I was older that I really understood it. Hell, until this year, I didn’t really care for the holidays either. I was the one responsible for everything. It’s like the people I was with shed all responsibility because they knew I would take care of everything if they didn’t. I got all the Christmas gifts for my boys when they were younger. I was the one that put them together. I was the one that typically cooked the meals, unless we had the meal at another family member’s house.
This year is different. I’ve felt a deep connection with my girlfriend. Even though the relationships with my family are somewhat strained, I feel like this year is different in such a good way. Next year should be better, but this year is the first year that I feel like I have an equal partner. She cares about me just as much as I care about her. This Christmas year has taught me that even though we have gone through some really heavy shit, there is life at the end of the tunnel. Even if I can’t see the light sometimes, I have someone who is really there for me and by my side.
See, not every story is what it seems like on the surface. Some people put on such a fake happiness that no one could tell they are living in misery, showing the world/family how good of a person they are, even if they are nothing like that. Some stories have rich histories that are difficult for people to understand. People have taken the Santa Claus fable and forgotten the real Nicholas of Myra was far more giving and performed many more miracles than the mythical Santa could touch. Yes, Saint Nicholas punched/slapped a man in the face at the Council of Nicea in AD 325 for saying that Jesus wasn’t equal to God. He also performed many miracles. There are stories of him raising people from the dead. He would give purses of gold to poor families.
This time of year should remind us that miracles can actually happen. It’s hard to remember when the world is full of such festering shit that evil seems to be growing. Not every family member is a good person. Not every situation contains a single thing that is positive. When we find a good person, when we find a nugget of good in a situation, we must act to keep that good alive. We must nurture it, remember it. Good can be corrupted. Corruption can be corrected back into good. Even though this year has contained some epically bad horse shit, I’m thankful for the good. I am cherishing being loved, and in love. I had no idea this year would end up like it has, but I’m thankful for it. I am truly happy!
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!