American Christmas

The American Christmas is built on people with such an intangible spirit that even in the darkest of times it is a beacon to the world. It is not the songs, or the gifts, or the feasts, or even trees but the unity of Americans if at no other time then on Christmas Day. It is a time of joy, a time peace and a time renewal for everyone in the USA. A time for family and friends and to make new friends which eventually become our family. It is a time to reach out to that lonely neighbor and invite them for Christmas dinner even if it is not convenient but because it is kind. To spend the day doing that chore for an elderly person who needs their plants watered.

And in this country which is so diverse we celebrate Christmas as not only the birth of Christ but as Hanukah and as Eid as well. But by no means is this Holiday Season limited to those religions.

By no means are we are able to celebrate the grand Christmas which all of wish we could provide. But it would not be for ourselves but for our loved ones. Americans really only shop for themselves during the Holidays. This is a story rarely told around the world. Our holidays are reserved for clothes, shoes and necessity items. And we celebrate just to have the very basics and essentials in our society.

But we also struggle to provide for our neighbor, friend, elderly and the sick. We try and make certain that those less fortunate are able to receive a gift. This in of itself is a gift in our society to have compassion, humanity and love even if it is one day of the year.

So no one would ever want Christmas to end because it affords Americans a day to obtain the essentials they need in life and to provide good will towards each other in an otherwise demanding society.

There is nothing superfluous about Christmas except that perhaps Americans only have it one day of the year.

As many of you may know I have recently lost my Mother. This Christmas was going to be particularly hard on my son who misses his Nana terribly. Many people came together to pull a Christmas together for my son. I have also been frank about my son having Autism which means he is more difficult to shop for. And yet some very special people pulled together to make certain my son received his gifts. I have a firm rule of 12 gifts only. I have never wanted my son to lose the meaning of Christmas in greed but this year my community pulled together to make certain he received more than 12 gifts. Of course they would never tell me because they know I have the 12 gift rule limit.

And they did it in this is a dire economy. And yet, all of these wonderful people pulled together to make certain he had his gifts. It is both humbling and astounding. In such dire economic times for my community to pull together to contribute to my son’s Christmas is perhaps the most humbling experience I have ever had.

And while my son most certainly misses his Nana and will continue to for sometime, he is happy that Christmas has still proceeded.

And my faith in my community is renewed on the best Christmas I could have ever imagined. I have lost my Mother but I now realize I was never alone in her Cancer, or in my grief but I had a community of people willing to accept and love us if only I was gracious enough to open myself up to the experience. So Christmas is everyday when we are united. And no matter what our opinions are in this country, and they are just that opinions, we are united if on no other day but on Christmas.

And I consider myself so fortunate to have all my friends around this world to share this with as well. So what is so amazing about our American Christmas is that we can enjoy it with just as wonderful and gracious people around the world who are equally as accepting and loving. So everything that is wonderful about American Christmas is equally wonderful about Christmas around the world.