We are now in the throes of the holiday season.  Each year I struggle with what the "Holidays" mean to me.  My peers and I have this conversation each and each year I think I have an understanding, then again I question the holidays as they come around.

For some there is a religious and spiritual connection to this time of the year, for others it is the draw of family that ignites the holiday spirit and for those of us that question those two frameworks for holidays, where does that leave us? 

Being a student for the last 6 holiday seasons I struggle with do I give? or not and if I do not give do I receive gifts?  If I do not give into the commercial, am I not in the spirit? As I watch commercial promote an unobtainable "happy family" situations, jewelry commercial that play on the emotions of individuals, and the importance of "food" for the holidays I feel expectations being placed on me as a consumer: if you don't make this pie then your holidays will be incomplete, if you don't by this diamond your love will not be complete, etc., etc...Granted these are my observations and my thoughts but they are what cause the questions to simmer each year and each year I am no closer to understanding.

I am of the school of thought that one should be charitable all throughout the year, giving of both time and money and time with family is special all year long. For me this is a time of reflection...time to assess where I have been, what I have done, and where I am going.  With that being said: I love to see the lights, tacky or tasteful, on peoples houses, they twinkle and make the barren winter landscape sparkle a little.  I love Nat King Cole singing Christmas music, his voice is clear and crisp and the music is pure, I love "A Charlie Brown Christmas", I love to hear Linus speak the story from the Bible, I love the concepts that are in that story, pure and clean, I love the music of Vince Guaraldi from this movie...it is calming and reflective, not loud and brassy, I Like the smell of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, I like the smell of a fire burning, I like the crisp of the December air, and even though there is no Santa Claus I still love to laugh with my dad about what is more appropriate for Santa...a tall glass of milk or a fine snifter of Brandy.

As the holidays come screaming at me....I will continue my search for my holiday traditions. 

Happy Holidays to everyone and enjoy and cherish your traditions.

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