Well, here is hoping that everyone here that celebrates Christmas enjoyed it yesterday!
Mine was busy, but went fairly well. I worked on the overnight shift, as per usual.
It was an unusual Christmas in some ways, because some people really seemed to be lacking the Christmas spirit. I know that it is, traditionally, a stressful period of time for many people, and that is understandable. But I cannot remember so many people showing signs of indifference, and at some points, downright hostility, for this holiday before. It started at my job, when two guys almost got in a fight. They both suddenly were yelling at one another, and other guys present were yelling at them both to chill out when it actually began to look like they were going to come to blows. Mind you, these are two grown men, both with children, both in their thirties, and acting like two high school teens trying to show who the biggest bad ass is. And on Christmas Day, of all days!
Unbelievable!
There were some very impatient and hostile people driving on the roads as well, which was a depressing site. This was made even more the case by the fact that the roads were relatively free of congestion.
Then, my girlfriend was thinking -seriously thinking - of simply staying home instead of us going out to enjoy dinner with her friends/family. She was tired and stressed out after a hard day at work, which was understandable. She did not choose to work Christmas, and apparently, things were unfortunately especially stressful on this of all days. Still, it is Christmas, and it only comes once a year. I do not know how seriously she was thinking of just staying home, since it took only a little persuading before we were both getting ready to go out.
Ultimately, also, there were a couple of other tiny episodes that suggested that some people simply were not in the Christmas spirit this year. Not entirely sure why, although it was a bit sad and sobering.
Now, personally, I felt blessed to be reminded of how magical a time Christmas can be. My son's enthusiasm to open up all of those wonderful gifts reminded me of when I was a child, and I showed that same energy and impatience. Historically, the roots of this holiday, and what made it feel so magical and unique, was that it was a time when children in particular were given gifts. There is nothing like a child to inject some energy into this wonderful winter tradition. It was evident in my son on Christmas morning, and it was also evident among the kids of our hosts on Christmas Eve, when most of the gifts are opened among Polish families, evidently.
It was nice to see that, as well as to enjoy some relaxing down time, and good conversation, with family and friends. I personally was blessed to have been able to sit down to three different holiday meals this time around, which included my first time ever actually breaking bread with others, and I am counting my blessings now as we head to 2015. This has been a difficult year for me, personally, and I will not lie and say that I will be sorry to see this year go. But there were some highlights, and enjoying good food and good times with friends and family definitely counts as one of the highlights!
Unfortunately, it seemed that there was more holiday jeer this year than usual. Quite a few people seemed unusually and inordinately stressed, and let that get the better of them.
The holiday season, and particularly Christmas, is often a time when you get to glimpse the very best in people. They are more relaxed and giving then during much of the rest of the year. It is a time when you can catch a glimpse of a more charitable spirit among people than normally exists. That is a huge part of the draw of it. Whatever the normal stress of everyday life, this holiday allows us to put that aside, at least for one day, and to enjoy a much needed, better, and more ideal time together. Here is hoping that next year and for years to come, there will be less of the stress and general fatigue that the holidays can undeniably provide, and more opportunities to enjoy a festive holiday spirit of giving and generosity in the future!
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