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"Merry Christmas!," from a Heathen.
"Why I say "Merry Christmas!" to all.
A lot of people, manyyy of my friends, hate Christmas. And for very good reasons. For anyone who likes green grass and blue skies and clean air and healthy children...well, the sheer volume of crap we give to one another is sickening. Like too much ice cream.
Still, I love Christmas, always have. Even if I was raised Buddhist (!), and still practice.
The Christmas spirit and the Christmas many Americans love to hate are two different things. One is all about Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men (Women, and Children), what's not to love about that?...and one is generosity gone mad: businesses, understandably, trying to take advantage of this truly holyday so they can pay the bills.
Christmas is not all about crass commercialism, of course. It's about friends and family and snow and coziness and tradition.
I cherish this quiet, cozy, cold, warm time of year, which is bigger and older than Christmas. It's a fundamental time of year, for returning to the basics of a life well-lived.
This poem, Holydays, is adapted from something I wrote up two years ago. Please consider leaving a comment about your relationship to this time of year.
Yours in "generosity is the virtue that produces peace",
~  Waylon Lewis
editor-in-chief, host
elephantjournal.com, Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis
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