Christmas

               Christmas is in the air, in case you haven't noticed. All the radio and TV stations have nothing but Christmas songs and programs on. From ugly sweater parties to secret santa, it is a huge countdown, really! 

               Suddenly Christmas is affordable. As total suckers for the commercialization of the festival, I believe we have become inadvertent victims of  the retail industry's manipulation. Christmas has gone from celebrating the birth of Jesus to passifying our material needs under the facade of gift giving.  I, for one has totally embraced this for a fact. I even have a list that I want, let alone what my family wants. I finalized the list in October. How did I get this way?

        What happened to the times when Christmas was all about Jesus and a new set of clothes and the best Christmas meal-biriyani. 

That was all it was when I grew up in India. 

They are beautiful memories. The advent days dotted with Christmas celebrations, opening every window in the advent calendar, mailing Christmas cards, carol rounds, shopping for your Christmas outfit, asking your mother, who was coming over for the Christmas meal? Oh, and we would order Christmas sweets-ladoos and mysore baghs and mixture that will shared with all the neighbors in your street. We were never big on Christmas trees but we always hung a star outside of the house to signify the star the shone where Jesus was born.

            On Christmas day, church was at 5 in the morning. We will have to go early to find a spot. One of my favorite memories of the past was being decked in my new silk saree, walking to church and breathing  in the aroma of jasmine flower strands that were used the decorate the church. Life was simple back then. Christmas meant Jesus' birth and celebrating him.

           I miss that simplicity.   

           Now we buy gifts and give to friends and relatives, with the receipt, in case they might want to return it. They convince you they love it and both of you avoid each other in the Kohl's return section the next morning! We groan at the thought of shopping for our picky kids and husband. We groan at the thought of your husband buying the wrong gift for us. We groan at gifts being too expensive. In the end Christmas has become a big groan.

           I just wish I am able to refuse stress to rule me, recapture Christmas this year and celebrate my Lord - the Prince of Peace.

          Having said that, 2020 has had its curveballs. Tremendous Loss of lives, innumerable loss of livelihoods, loss of relationships and my own huge personal loss of a family gathering in India. 2020 was not all loss.....I have gained perspective on all the things unnecessary(shoes, clothes, makeup), gained an understanding of greed (from the panic buyers), selfishness (from those who were deaf to the pleas of mask wearing and social distancing).

          I am mad and disappointed about so many things that could have been. 

         But I also believe our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace,  is right here among us calling on us to get out and help.