Christmas Time

The following is not a particularly Holiday message.  It's, you know, Jate-styled musings.

I'm expecting a flurry of messages soon - journals left and right about the traditional Holiday Haul.  Kind of odd for me to get cynical and sarcastic at this time, but it always happens.  I know myself, and I know the way I react to those messages.

It usually ends with me going "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" and eating a candy cane.  Or a nice cuppa (maybe a shot if it's a really long list) and a chat with good friends.

The holidays aren't about giving or getting.  They're not even about family or friends, no matter how precious those things are.  The 'holidays' are another time of year, a holiday stolen and begotten from Hallmark, twisted from eventhe Christian beginning until it's so far-flung from the creator's ideal that it's unrecognisable.  Once upon a time, these "holidays" we treasure so much were a short celebration inside your home with a tiny log, three candles, some spiced cider, and reflective prayers.  Presents were given in the spirit of awakening something more than human greed, and they were reminders of the season to come.

Of course, that said, I love this prepackaged, hecktic time of year.  Especially now that I don't work retail.  I love the way you see someone's eyes light up at the sight of wrapping paper.  I love the way I feel when someone gets something they wanted, or maybe that they needed.  I love that glow I get when I think of how special some people are to each other, and the ways that they show it.

On the other hand, I hate the greedy, grubby listing of "I didn't get this" or "I didn't get that."  I hate the way one person makes you feel about your own holiday, because they got something you needed/wanted and think that it wasn't enough.  When someone posts about how "their holidays sucked" when they got gods-alone knew how much, and you think that they need to sit back and appreciate it. 

Comparing Holiday Hauls isn't the Meaning of the Season.  Sharing something worthwhile with a good friend is more valuable than a new car, PS2, or a brand-spankin'-new set of markers.  I'd rather have given a gift that took time and effort to decide on, and that I know they might not want but will show them how much I care, than the grandest and most extravagant thing.  Maybe I did something small, but I put time into it, and heart.

Those gifts are the most important, the ones that were done especially for someone else.  The small things that let you know just how special you are to another person.  Why give something big, something huge, when a tiny object can mean so very, very much more.

Much love to you all, minna-san.  I wish you the best holidays and new year, and know I've gotten what I love.  A few people have spent the holidays showing me how much they care, and it's meant the world.

-Jate