Bah Humbug!
It’s not that I don’t like holiday time. How can I not!
People generally seem more joyful, more considerate, more generous, and caring.
Shopping for gifts, being influenced to think about others’ desires are all
ways for us to practise the ‘giving spirit’. Colourful lights sparkling
sporadically as we drive down the streets. Twinkling charms that beckon us to
come together, share hot soup, sing in song, join in celebration of life.
It’s not that I don’t like holiday time! I just frustrate about the
fact that we can’t be like this with each other all the time.
It’s like my distaste for Mother’s Day. I discourage gift giving and
special treatment from my kids on Mother’s Day. I want them to practise that
respect on other days of the year too. Not just one! And I don’t want only one
day of the year when we spend time together! Why wait for public pressure to
express love for mom!!!
And Valentine’s Day! Is that the one day of the year that we openly
express love for lovers and friends? We could do that every day, and it feels
so good to share that love! Imagine... sending a card to someone you care for
just for appreciation for another day of being able to love them! Or receiving
a delicious box of chocolates in June, just because you are loved and cared
about!
Thanksgiving Day can be a bit wearisome too. Is there only one day of
the year when we sit down together with family and friends and give thanks for
all that the world has to offer us? I think not! We could only benefit by doing
that everyday!
I suppose, on the one hand, if we don’t have these holidays that help
us ‘model’ how to appreciate our lives, many of us would never have the practice.
Highlighting days that remind us to show thoughtfulness and gratitude and
expressions of love for people in our lives, is a little like taking an exam.
The purpose of an exam is to show what we know. Sometimes we cram for the exam,
making sure we regurgitate the content to satisfy the system. Sometimes we
learn for the exam, and the content becomes completely integrated into our
lives. When that happens, exam taking is easy. We know how to do it. It becomes innate to our being and practising
what we learned becomes more authentic. The content becomes integrated.
Sometimes though, we 'cram' and our objective is simply to pass the exam. We put effort in to
getting the answers right, sometimes without really learning the material. We pass
the exam all right, but, do we really understand the content? Have we really learned what the exam set out to test in
the first place? Does giving the ‘perfect gift’ on Christmas provide enough
depth to continue to give even when the holiday isn’t here?
I want to live in a world where practising appreciation and caring happens
every day. I want to be able to pass any ‘pop quiz’ that comes my way, and be
ready to achieve passing grades in life at any given time!
Bah humbug? Not really! Just Happy Holidays to all and sincere hopes that
we can share love and joy together and make each day a special holy day.
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