I have to confess

I am not a big fan of Christmas celebrations!
I am not really hot about the recycling of sentimentalities
and Christmas songs and the best of wishes …

Not so excited about all the cutting of Christmas Trees
and the loads of wrappings and papers discarded afterwards
and the unquestioned consumption and commercialization of the whole affair.

I rather spend the day, the night in silence
considering what it is all about
actually
essentially

I enjoy that and be thankful for it

~~~

But its a strange thing indeed, how i can feel so critical about it all, so having-seen-it-all, while at the same time there is this little Austrian boy still alive inside who loves the Christmas lights, the candles, the sprinklers …
the anticipation of presents to unwrap

the snow, the atmosphere
the walking thru the night for Midnight Mass
to promise of my family together without much fuss …

Yes, even now there is appreciation for the ritual
like at any religious ceremony there is at least a glimmer of the divine
an opportunity to step away from the mundane, the everyday drudge of life
and dress up
and give

Yes, the giving!
that is Christmas!