Christmas Eve

At this point, I, like many other Americans, just have one thing to say: "Well, it's almost over."

Don't get me wrong. Christmas is a sacred holiday to me. However, I like to think I celebrate Christ all year long.

The baking, the school festivities, the shopping, parties, caroling, trying to appreciate the poor overworked store workers (that is NOT minimum work -- but they make minimum wage.) It's frazzling and I prefer normalcy. Also, as I get older I have begun to like social situations less and less. I just like being home by the fire.

If shopping for gifts were all there was to it, I believe that'd be fine. It's the shopping for cards, added touches to decorations, ingredients for baking, cool containers in which to pack the baked goods, etc, etc, that takes it over the top.

I know I sound like a humbug.

Here's what I DO like about Christmas.

People are more humane. They wave you ahead in traffic. They wear goofy hats they wouldn't be caught dead in, the rest of the year. Houses look better. In addition to the lights and paralyzed reindeer, the yards are raked and the porches swept. People care about children during Christmas. They give to the poor. We use our good china. We wear festive clothing. We smile. And...we sing beautiful songs, no matter how well or how poorly we sing.

Cool line from "Mary Did You Know?" a song that came out last year (I think). Every artist is rushing to record it but it still has a very cool line:

"Did you know the baby you delivered, would one day deliver you?"